Learn Hardcore Finnish: Välitunnilla tyttö ja poika leikkivät ulkona. - At recess the girl and the boy play outside.

It’s the adessive case (-lla/-llä), which often means “at” or “during” in time expressions. So välitunnilla = “at/during recess.” The adessive is also used for locations like “on/at” a place (e.g., pihalla “in the yard”).

Why is it spelled välitunnilla and not “välituntilla”?

Consonant gradation: tunti (“hour”) becomes tunnilla in many inflected forms (nt → nn). Since välitunti is “recess/break,” the adessive is välitunnilla.

Why is the verb leikkivät plural?

The subject is compound (tyttö ja poika = “the girl and the boy”), so the verb must be third-person plural. Standard Finnish requires plural agreement here: leikkivät (not singular leikkii in formal writing).

Why does it end with -vät (not -vat): leikkivät?

Vowel harmony. The plural ending is -vat/-vät. If the stem contains front vowels (ä, ö, y), you use -vät. The verb leikkiä belongs to the front-vowel group, so it’s leikkivät.

Is leikkivät “are playing” or “play”?

Both. Finnish present tense covers both simple and progressive meanings. Context tells you which:

Now: “They are playing.”
Habitually: “They play.” Past “were playing” is also leikkivät (e.g., Eilen he leikkivät), so time words are important for clarity.

What’s the difference between ulkona, ulos, and ulkoa?

They’re a directional trio:

ulkona = “outside” (static location: Where? “They are outside.”)
ulos = “(to) outside” (movement to: “They go outside.”)
ulkoa = “from outside” (movement from: “They come from outside.”)

Why no “a/the” before tyttö and poika?

Finnish has no articles. Tyttö ja poika can mean “a girl and a boy” or “the girl and the boy,” depending on context.

What case are tyttö and poika in?

Nominative singular. Subjects typically appear in the nominative, and coordination (tyttö ja poika) still counts as a plural subject for verb agreement.

Can I move Välitunnilla to another position?

Yes. Finnish word order is flexible. Fronting a time adverbial is common and neutral: Välitunnilla tyttö ja poika leikkivät ulkona. You could also say:

Tyttö ja poika leikkivät ulkona välitunnilla. (neutral)
Ulkona leikkivät tyttö ja poika välitunnilla. (emphasizes location) No comma is needed with a short initial adverbial.

Why leikkiä and not pelata for “play”?

leikkiä = to play (general/children’s play, pretend play)
pelata = to play structured games/sports (e.g., pelata jalkapalloa “play soccer”) Children “play” = leikkiä.

How would I say “during the break” more explicitly?

You can say Välitunnin aikana (“during the break”), but the adessive välitunnilla already naturally means “at/during recess” and is more idiomatic here.

Pronunciation tips for this sentence?

Double letters are long: tt in tyttö, kk in leikkivät, nn and ll in välitunnilla.
Vowels: ä (front “a,” like the a in “cat” but more front), ö (like German “ö”), y (like French “u”/German “ü”).
Every written vowel is pronounced; stress is always on the first syllable: VÄ-li-tun-nil-la TYT-tö ja POI-ka LEIK-ki-vät UL-ko-na.

Could I be more specific than ulkona?

Yes. Examples:

pihalla = in the yard
koulun pihalla = in the schoolyard
kentällä = on the field Choose the location word that fits the scene.

How do I say it in the past (“were playing”) and in the negative?

Past affirmative: Eilen välitunnilla tyttö ja poika leikkivät ulkona.
Present negative: Tyttö ja poika eivät leiki ulkona.
Past negative: Tyttö ja poika eivät leikkineet ulkona.

If I replace the subjects with a pronoun, what do I use?

Use he for “they (people)” in standard Finnish: He leikkivät ulkona. In colloquial speech, many say Ne leikkii, but that’s informal and not for formal writing.

Does ulkona agree with plural subjects?

No. Ulkona is an adverbial form (“outside”), so it doesn’t change for number or gender. The verb carries the agreement, not the location word.