Breakdown of Ulkona sataa, joten katu on liukas.
olla
to be
ulkona
outside
joten
so
katu
the street
sataa
to rain
liukas
slippery
Questions & Answers about Ulkona sataa, joten katu on liukas.
Why is there no subject like “it” in the verb sataa?
Finnish weather verbs are impersonal. Sataa (it rains), tuulee (it’s windy), ukkostaa (there’s thunder) appear in 3rd-person singular without any subject. So you say simply Sataa or add a place: Ulkona sataa. Saying Se sataa is unidiomatic in standard Finnish.
Can I change the word order to Sataa ulkona?
Yes. Both Ulkona sataa and Sataa ulkona are correct. Finnish word order is flexible; putting Ulkona first highlights the location (“Outside, it’s raining”), while Sataa ulkona is a bit more neutral.
What is ulkona exactly? Why does it end in -na, not -ssa/-llä?
Ulkona is a fixed place adverb meaning “outside, outdoors.” It belongs to an irregular “directional trio”:
- ulkona = at/outside (location)
- ulos = out/to outside (movement to)
- ulkoa = from outside (movement from)
Memorize these as adverbs; they don’t follow the regular -ssa/-sta/-seen or -lla/-lta/-lle patterns. Comparable sets: kotona/kotiin/kotoa (at home/to home/from home).
Could I say Sataa vettä?
You can, but it’s not usually necessary. Sataa already implies rain. Sataa vettä is used for emphasis (often “it’s pouring”). To specify a different kind of precipitation, you add a noun: sataa lunta (snowing), sataa räntää (sleet).
What does joten mean, and why is there a comma before it?
Joten means “so/therefore.” It links two independent clauses in a cause–effect relation. In Finnish, a comma normally separates such clauses, so: Ulkona sataa, joten katu on liukas.
Can I use siksi instead of joten?
Yes, but mind punctuation:
- Ulkona sataa. Siksi katu on liukas. (Two sentences; siksi is an adverb.)
- Don’t write a single sentence with a comma before siksi: that’s incorrect in formal Finnish. With joten, the comma + single sentence is correct: ..., joten ...
How is joten different from koska?
- joten = “so/therefore,” introduces the result: Cause, joten Result.
- koska = “because,” introduces the reason: Result, koska Cause. Example: Katu on liukas, koska ulkona sataa.
How is joten different from jotta?
- joten = “so/therefore” (result).
- jotta = “so that/in order that” (purpose; takes a subordinate clause often with conditional): Tein hiekoituksen, jotta katu ei olisi liukas.
Why is it katu on liukas and not katu on liukasta?
With a concrete, countable subject like katu (the street), the predicative adjective is in the nominative: katu on liukas. The partitive predicative (liukasta) is used in different structures, for example:
- With an unspecified/“it”-type subject: On liukasta (“It is slippery” in general).
- With plural or mass noun subjects: Kadut ovat liukkaita; Maito on kylmää.
When would I say On liukasta instead?
Use On liukasta when speaking generally about conditions without naming a subject: “It’s slippery (out).” If you name the place: Ulkona on liukasta or Kaduilla on liukasta. If you name a specific countable subject, switch to nominative agreement: Katu on liukas.
How do I make it plural?
- Singular: Katu on liukas.
- Plural: Kadut ovat liukkaita. Note the adjective goes to plural partitive liukkaita in predicative position with a plural subject.
What’s the difference between katu, tie, and jalkakäytävä?
- katu = street (in a town/city).
- tie = road (between places, not necessarily urban).
- jalkakäytävä = sidewalk/pavement.
So you might also hear: Jalkakäytävä on liukas.
Can I say Kadulla on liukasta? How is that different from Katu on liukas?
- Katu on liukas: “The street is slippery” (treats the street as a countable subject; nominative).
- Kadulla on liukasta: “It is slippery on the street” (talks about the condition on the street; partitive predicative with a location expression).
How do I talk about past or ongoing rain with sataa?
- Present: sataa (It is raining).
- Imperfect (past): satoi (It rained).
- Perfect: on satanut (It has rained/has been raining).
- Pluperfect: oli satanut (It had rained).
- Frequentative (drizzling/off and on): satelee.
Is there any potential confusion with the word katu?
Yes. katu (street) is a noun, but katua is also a verb meaning “to regret.” Context and form distinguish them:
- Noun forms: katu, kadun, katua, kadulla, kadulla on...
- Verb: katua (e.g., Minä kadun = I regret).
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