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Questions & Answers about Suihku on kuuma.
What do the words suihku, on, and kuuma each mean?
- suihku = shower
- on = is (3rd person singular of the verb olla, “to be”)
- kuuma = hot (adjective)
Why are there no articles (a/the) in Finnish?
Finnish has no definite or indefinite articles. Context tells you whether something is specific or general. So Suihku on kuuma can mean “The shower is hot” or “A shower is hot,” depending on the situation.
What case is suihku in, and how can I tell?
suihku is in the nominative singular, the form used for the subject of a sentence. Many Finnish nouns in the nominative singular have no special ending beyond the stem.
How do I ask “Is the shower hot?” in Finnish?
Use the question particle -ko attached to the verb, or just rely on rising intonation.
- With -ko: Onko suihku kuuma?
- By tone alone: Suihku on kuuma?
How do I say “The shower is not hot” in Finnish?
Use the negative auxiliary verb ei and the main verb in the basic form:
Suihku ei ole kuuma.
How do I say “hot shower” as a noun phrase, for example “I want a hot shower”?
When an adjective modifies a noun directly, it comes before the noun and both are in the correct case. For “I want a hot shower”:
Haluan kuuman suihkun.
Here kuuman and suihkun are both in the accusative case (object of the verb).
Why is the adjective kuuma placed after the verb in “Suihku on kuuma,” but before the noun in “kuuma suihku”?
In Suihku on kuuma, kuuma is a predicative adjective describing the subject via the verb on (“is”). Predicative adjectives follow the verb. In kuuma suihku, kuuma is attributive, directly modifying the noun suihku, so it precedes it.
How are suihku and kuuma pronounced?
Approximate pronunciation in English terms:
- suihku = “SOO-ee-koo” (IPA: [ˈsui̯kʊ])
- kuuma = “KOO-mah” (IPA: [ˈkuːmɑ])