Tarkkailen pilviä parvekkeelta.

I observe the clouds from the balcony.

Breakdown of Tarkkailen pilviä parvekkeelta.

• -lta: from
• parveke: the balcony
• pilvi: the cloud
• tarkkailla: to observe

Questions & Answers about Tarkkailen pilviä parvekkeelta.

What does tarkkailen mean, and how is it formed?

Tarkkailen is the first‐person singular present form of the verb tarkkailla, which means “to observe” or “to watch carefully.”
• The infinitive is tarkkailla (“to observe”).
• In the present tense, type I verbs like this add -en for “I,” so tarkkailla → tarkkailen (“I observe/watch”).

Why is pilviä in the partitive plural (not pilvet)?

Finnish uses the partitive case for:
1) Ongoing, incomplete, or unbounded actions (aspect).
2) Direct objects of many verbs when the object isn’t a single, whole entity.
Here, “observing clouds” is an ongoing activity, and pilviä (“clouds” in partitive plural) correctly signals that you’re watching some clouds, not counting or completing them.

What is the difference between tarkkailla and katsoa?

• Katsoa means “to look” or “to watch” in a general sense (like “watch TV”).
• Tarkkailla implies more careful, prolonged observation—“to observe,” “to monitor” or “to keep an eye on.”
In this sentence, you’re not just glancing at clouds; you’re observing their shapes/movements in detail.

What case is parvekkeelta, and what does it signify?

Parvekkeelta is the ablative case (adessive -lla/llä + suffix -ta/ltä → -lta/ltä), indicating “from” somewhere.
• Parveke = balcony
• Parvekkeella = on the balcony (adessive “at/on”)
• Parvekkeelta = from the balcony (ablative “from”)

Could I use parvekkeella instead of parvekkeelta?

Yes, but with a nuance change:
• Parvekkeella (“on the balcony”) states your location while observing.
• Parvekkeelta (“from the balcony”) emphasizes the vantage point you’re observing from.
Both are grammatically correct; choose based on whether you stress being on it or looking from it.

Why isn’t there an explicit subject like minä (“I”)?

Finnish verb endings show the subject. The -en in tarkkailen already means “I.”
Including minä is possible for emphasis (“Minä tarkkailen…”) but usually unnecessary.