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Kun sataa, kuljen mieluummin bussilla kuin pyörällä.

Kun sataa, kuljen mieluummin bussilla kuin pyörällä.
When it rains, I prefer to travel by bus rather than by bicycle.
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Questions & Answers about Kun sataa, kuljen mieluummin bussilla kuin pyörällä.

What does kun mean here, and how is it different from jos?

Kun here means when in a time sense: it presents rain as a situation that happens (often/habitually) and tells what you do then.
Jos means if and is more conditional/hypothetical. In practice:

  • Kun sataa, ... = when it rains (whenever it rains)
  • Jos sataa, ... = if it rains (in case it rains)
Why is it just sataa with no subject? Who/what is raining?

Sataa is an impersonal verb in Finnish for weather. There is no real subject in English either (English uses a dummy it: it rains). Finnish simply says sataa = it’s raining / it rains.

Why is there a comma after Kun sataa?

Because Kun sataa is a subordinate clause that comes before the main clause. In Finnish, a subordinate clause is typically separated from the main clause with a comma:

  • Kun sataa, kuljen ...
    If you reverse the order, you usually still use a comma:
  • Kuljen ..., kun sataa.
What form is kuljen and what is the dictionary form?

Kuljen is the 1st person singular present tense: I go / I travel / I commute.
The dictionary form is kulkea (to go, to travel, to walk).

Does kulkea mean walking specifically? Why not mennä?

Kulkea is broader than just walking. It often means to travel / to go (by some route or means) and fits well with commuting and transport.
Mennä is a very general to go, and would also work:

  • Kun sataa, menen mieluummin bussilla...
    Using kulkea can sound a bit more like how you get around rather than just going somewhere once.
What exactly does mieluummin mean, and is it the same as mieluiten?

Mieluummin means rather / preferably and is used for comparing two options (A rather than B).
Mieluiten means preferably / most gladly and is common when you’re not explicitly contrasting with kuin.

  • Kuljen mieluummin bussilla kuin pyörällä. (A rather than B)
  • Kuljen mieluiten bussilla. (bus is my preferred option)
Why are bussilla and pyörällä in the -lla/-llä form?

That ending is the adessive case, often used to express means of transport (how you go somewhere):

  • bussi → bussilla = by bus
  • pyörä → pyörällä = by bicycle

It can also mean “on/at,” but with vehicles it commonly means “by.”

Could I say bussissa instead of bussilla?

You can, but it changes the emphasis:

  • bussilla = by bus (focus on the method/means of travel)
  • bussissa = in the bus (focus on being inside the bus)

For “I go by bus,” bussilla is the normal choice.

Why is it kuin pyörällä and not kun pyörällä?

Kuin is the word used in comparisons: than.
Kun is for time/conditions: when/if.
So:

  • mieluummin X kuin Y = rather X than Y
Why is pyörällä spelled with -llä but bussilla with -lla?

It’s vowel harmony. Words with front vowels (y, ä, ö) take -llä, and words with back vowels (a, o, u) take -lla.

  • pyörä has ö, ä → pyörällä
  • bussi has no ä/ö/y → bussilla
Is this sentence talking about the future (next time it rains) or a general habit?

With the present tense (sataa, kuljen), it most naturally describes a general habit: whenever it rains, this is what you tend to do.
If you want to refer clearly to a past occasion, you’d use past tense:

  • Kun satoi, kuljin mieluummin bussilla kuin pyörällä.
Can the word order be changed, and would it change the meaning?

Yes, Finnish allows flexibility, mainly to change emphasis:

  • Kun sataa, kuljen mieluummin bussilla kuin pyörällä. (neutral)
  • Mieluummin kuljen bussilla kuin pyörällä, kun sataa. (emphasizes the preference more)
  • Bussilla kuljen mieluummin kuin pyörällä, kun sataa. (emphasizes bus as the chosen option)

The core meaning stays the same; the focus shifts.