Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla.

The cat is sitting on the edge of the couch.

Breakdown of Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla.

• kissa: the cat
• sohva: the couch
• istua: to sit
• reunalla: at the edge

Questions & Answers about Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla.

What is the literal, word‑by‑word meaning of Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla?

A fairly literal breakdown is:

• kissa = cat
• istuu = sits / is sitting (3rd person singular present of istua, to sit)
• sohvan = of the sofa (genitive form of sohva, sofa)
• reunalla = on the edge (adessive form of reuna, edge)

So structurally it’s like:
Cat sits sofa’s edge-on → “The cat is sitting on the edge of the sofa.”

Why is there no word for the or a before kissa?

Finnish doesn’t have articles like a/an or the. The noun kissa just means cat; whether you translate it as a cat or the cat depends on context.

In isolation, Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla could be translated as either:

• A cat is sitting on the edge of the sofa.
• The cat is sitting on the edge of the sofa.

In real use, earlier context (has this cat already been mentioned?) or the situation would tell you which English article to choose. Finnish itself doesn’t mark that difference in the noun form.

Why is sohvan in a different form from sohva?

Sohvan is the genitive singular of sohva (sofa). The genitive (ending -n) is used here mainly to express an “of” relationship between two nouns:

• sohvan reuna = the edge of the sofa

So you have:

• sohva = sofa
• sohvan = of the sofa
• reuna = edge
• reunalla = on the edge

Putting it together:
sohvan reunalla = on the edge of the sofa

Why is reunalla used, and what does the ending -lla mean?

Reunalla is the adessive form of reuna (edge). The adessive case (ending -lla / -llä) often corresponds to English on, at, or by:

• pöydällä = on the table (pöytä = table)
• kadulla = on the street (katu = street)
• sohvalla = on the sofa (sohva = sofa)
• reunalla = on the edge (reuna = edge)

In sohvan reunalla, the adessive is attached to reuna, so the “on” idea belongs to edge, not directly to sofa:

• reunalla = on the edge
• sohvan reunalla = on the edge of the sofa

Why do we need both sohvan and reunalla? Could we just say one of them?

They each contribute different information:

• reunalla tells you the type of place – an edge, and that the cat is on it.
• sohvan tells you whose edge it is – the sofa’s.

If you say only:

• Kissa istuu sohvalla. = The cat is sitting on the sofa.
  (Location: anywhere on the sofa, not specifically on the edge.)

If you say only:

• Kissa istuu reunalla. = The cat is sitting on the edge.
  (We don’t know what the edge belongs to – it could be a cliff, chair, bed, etc.)

Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla. combines both: on the edge and that edge belongs to the sofa.

How is the verb istuu formed, and what tense/aspect does it express?

The base verb is istua = to sit.

Conjugation in the present tense:

• (minä) istun = I sit / I am sitting
• (sinä) istut = you sit / you are sitting
• (hän / se) istuu = he/she/it sits / is sitting
• (me) istumme = we sit / are sitting
• (te) istutte = you (pl.) sit / are sitting
• (he / ne) istuvat = they sit / are sitting

In Kissa istuu…, istuu is:

• 3rd person singular present tense

Finnish present tense usually covers both English simple and continuous:

• Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla.
  = The cat sits on the edge of the sofa.
  = The cat is sitting on the edge of the sofa.

Context decides which English form sounds more natural; here, “is sitting” is the usual translation.

Could the word order be different, like Sohvan reunalla istuu kissa?

Yes. Finnish word order is relatively flexible, and changing it mainly affects emphasis and what is perceived as “new” information.

• Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla.
  Neutral, subject‑first; just stating what the cat is doing and where.

• Sohvan reunalla istuu kissa.
  Emphasizes the location first: On the edge of the sofa, there is a cat sitting.
  This often feels like you’re drawing attention to the place and then revealing what’s there.

Both sentences are grammatically correct and mean essentially the same thing; the difference is in nuance and emphasis, not core meaning.

What’s the difference between Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla and Kissa istuu sohvalla?

• Kissa istuu sohvalla.
  = The cat is sitting on the sofa.
  → Any spot on the sofa (seat, cushion, corner), not necessarily on the edge.

• Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla.
  = The cat is sitting on the edge of the sofa.
  → Specifically on the edge, e.g., right on the front lip of the sofa.

So sohvalla tells you the cat is somewhere on the sofa, while sohvan reunalla narrows it down to the edge of that sofa.

Are there other forms like reunalla, and what do they mean (reunassa, reunalle, reunalta, etc.)?

Yes, Finnish has several locative cases that can be used with reuna (edge). Common ones:

• reunalla (adessive) = on the edge / at the edge
  → Kissa istuu reunalla. = The cat is sitting on the edge.

• reunalle (allative) = onto the edge / to the edge
  → Kissa hyppää reunalle. = The cat jumps onto the edge.

• reunalta (ablative) = from the edge
  → Kissa hyppää reunalta. = The cat jumps from the edge.

Internal location forms (less typical with reuna, but possible in some contexts):

• reunassa (inessive) = in the edge / at the edge (internally)
• reunasta (elative) = from inside / from the edge (internally)

For physical sitting “on the edge,” reunalla is the natural choice.

Why isn’t there any separate word like English on in this sentence?

In Finnish, spatial relations such as on, in, from, to are very often expressed with case endings on nouns rather than separate prepositions.

Examples:

• pöydällä = on the table
• pöytään = into the table / to the table
• pöydältä = (off) from the table
• talossa = in the house
• talosta = out of / from the house

In sohvan reunalla:

• reuna (edge) + -lla → reunalla = on the edge

So the function of English “on” is built into the ending -lla.

How would the sentence change if there were more than one cat?

You would make both the subject and the verb plural:

• Kissat istuvat sohvan reunalla.

Breakdown:

• kissat = cats (plural of kissa)
• istuvat = they sit / they are sitting (3rd person plural of istua)
• sohvan reunalla stays the same (the location doesn’t change).

So:

• Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla. = The cat is sitting on the edge of the sofa.
• Kissat istuvat sohvan reunalla. = The cats are sitting on the edge of the sofa.

How is Kissa istuu sohvan reunalla pronounced, and where is the stress?

Approximate pronunciation (IPA):

• kissa → [ˈkisːɑ]
• istuu → [ˈistuː]
• sohvan → [ˈsohʋɑn] (the v is like an English v/w blend)
• reunalla → [ˈreu̯nɑlːɑ]

Key points:

• Primary stress is almost always on the first syllable of each word: KIS‑sa IST‑uu SOH‑van REU‑nal‑la.
• Double consonants (ss, ll) are longer than single ones; you really hold them slightly longer.
• Double uu in istuu is also a long vowel; it should be longer than a single u would be.

Spoken smoothly, it sounds like:
KIS-sa IST-uu SOH-van REU-nal-la with each word’s first syllable stressed.