Tuossa on nainen.

to be

Breakdown of Tuossa on nainen.

• tuossa: there
• nainen: the woman

Questions & Answers about Tuossa on nainen.

Why does this sentence use tuossa instead of tuolla or tässä?

Tuossa points to something relatively close, like saying right there.

• Tuolla points to something farther away (like over there).
• Tässä means here, close to the speaker.

Is tuossa a pronoun or an adverb?

Tuossa is an adverbial form in Finnish indicating location. It helps specify where something is (in this case, the woman).

Why is the noun nainen in the nominative case here?

In Finnish, when using the verb olla (to be) for simple existence statements (X on Y), the subject typically remains in the nominative case. Here, nainen is the subject, so it stays in its base form.

Does on only mean is, or can it mean other things?

On is the third-person singular form of olla (to be). In this sentence, it means is, but olla can also be used for other functions in different contexts (for example, expressing possession: Minulla on = I have).

Could I say Tuossa nainen on with the same meaning?

Typically, in Finnish, the structure Tuossa on nainen is more natural. While Tuossa nainen on could be understood, it sounds more unusual and might imply emphasis or a specific stylistic choice. Finite verbs in Finnish statements usually come before the subject in neutral, everyday sentences.