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Questions & Answers about Vuodenaika on kaunis.
What is the basic structure of the sentence "Vuodenaika on kaunis." and how does it compare to an English sentence?
The sentence follows a simple subject–verb–complement pattern. "Vuodenaika" (subject) is followed by "on" (the copula, meaning is) and then "kaunis" (adjective, meaning beautiful). This mirrors the English sentence "The season is beautiful," except that Finnish does not use articles like the.
Why is there no article before "vuodenaika" in the Finnish sentence?
Finnish does not use articles. In Finnish, nouns stand alone without definite or indefinite articles, and their meaning is understood from context. So even though English requires the here, Finnish simply uses "vuodenaika."
What is the role of the word "on" in this sentence?
The word "on" is the third person singular form of the verb olla (to be). It functions as the copula, linking the subject "vuodenaika" with the adjective "kaunis." In English, it directly corresponds to is.
Does the adjective "kaunis" need to agree with "vuodenaika" in any special way?
In Finnish, adjectives do agree with their nouns in case, number, and sometimes degree of comparison. However, because both "vuodenaika" and "kaunis" are in their basic forms—nominative singular—no additional inflection is needed. They naturally match in this context.
Is there any nuance in using "vuodenaika" instead of a specific season name, and how should it be interpreted?
The word "vuodenaika" translates generally as season. While in everyday conversation you might refer to a specific season (like autumn or spring), using the general term can have a poetic or abstract meaning. It suggests a conceptual appreciation of the period rather than specifying which season. Since the intended meaning is already provided, learners can focus on understanding the grammatical structure without worrying about this nuance.
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