Ilta on hieman pimeä.

to be

Breakdown of Ilta on hieman pimeä.

• pimeä: dark
• ilta: the evening
• hieman: a bit

Questions & Answers about Ilta on hieman pimeä.

What does on mean in this sentence?

on is the third-person singular present tense of the verb olla (“to be”). Here it acts as the linking verb: Ilta on hieman pimeä = “The evening is somewhat dark.”

What case is ilta in, and why?

ilta is in the nominative singular because it’s the subject of the sentence. With olla, the subject remains in the nominative case.

What part of speech is hieman, and how does it work here?

hieman is an adverb meaning “a little,” “slightly,” or “somewhat.” It modifies the adjective pimeä, softening it:
• hieman pimeä = “a bit dark.”

Why doesn’t pimeä change its ending after hieman?

Because pimeä is used predicatively after the verb olla, it stays in the nominative singular to agree with the subject. Predicative adjectives don’t take case endings beyond nominative singular.

Could you use a different word instead of hieman?