Nainen laulaa ulkona.

The woman sings outside.

Breakdown of Nainen laulaa ulkona.

• nainen: the woman
• ulkona: outside
• laulaa: to sing

Questions & Answers about Nainen laulaa ulkona.

Why are there no articles like the or a in the sentence?

Finnish does not have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns appear without a or the, and context tells you whether something is specific or general. So nainen can mean “a woman” or “the woman” depending on the situation.

What case and number is nainen in?

Nainen is in the nominative singular. The nominative is the basic form of a noun and is used for the subject of a sentence.

Is laulaa an infinitive or a conjugated verb form?

Here laulaa is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb laulaa (to sing).
• As an infinitive it also looks the same, but when you see it with a clear subject like nainen, you know it means “sings.”

How does Finnish show “sings” without adding -s like in English?

In Finnish, person and number are marked by the verb ending. For the 3rd person singular (he/she/it) present tense, you simply use the stem plus -a/-ä. Thus:
• Stem: laula-
• Ending: -a
→ laulaa = he/she sings.

What part of speech is ulkona, and what does it mean?

Ulkona is a locative adverb meaning “outside” or “outdoors.” It’s not a case form of a noun but a fixed adverb used to tell where something happens.

How would you make the sentence negative (“The woman is not singing outside”)?

You use the negative auxiliary ei plus the main verb’s connegative form.
• Positive: Nainen laulaa ulkona.
• Negative: Nainen ei laula ulkona.
Here laulaa becomes laula- (connegative) after ei.

How do you turn it into a yes/no question (“Is the woman singing outside?”)?

Attach the question particle -ko/-kö to the verb:
Laulaako nainen ulkona?
Literally “Sings-Q the woman outside?” Finnish doesn’t need an auxiliary like “is.”

Can you change the word order, and does the meaning change?

Finnish word order is flexible thanks to cases and particles.
• Nainen laulaa ulkona. (neutral)
• Ulkona nainen laulaa. (emphasizes “outside”)
• Laulaa nainen ulkona. (emphasizes the action “sings”)
The core meaning stays the same, but you shift the focus.

What’s the difference between ulkona and ulos?

Both relate to “out,” but:
• Ulkona = “outside,” a location adverb (where?).
• Ulos = “out,” a directional adverb (to where?/movement).
E.g. Menen ulos = “I go out,” but olen ulkona = “I am outside.”

When would you use hän (she) instead of nainen (woman)?

• Nainen names or identifies the person (“a/the woman”).
• Hän is a pronoun (“she”) used when you already know who you’re talking about.
So if you’ve introduced the woman already: Hän laulaa ulkona. instead of repeating nainen.