Kun sataa, pysyn talossa ja luen kirjaa.

the book

Breakdown of Kun sataa, pysyn talossa ja luen kirjaa.

• lukea: to read
• ja: and
• -ssa: in

Questions & Answers about Kun sataa, pysyn talossa ja luen kirjaa.

Why is there a comma after Kun sataa?

In Finnish, a subordinate clause (here kun sataa, when it rains) is typically separated from the main clause by a comma. The structure is:

• Kun sataa, (subordinate clause)
• pysyn talossa ja luen kirjaa. (main clause with two coordinated verbs)

So the comma is basically marking the boundary between the clauses.

What exactly is kun doing here, and how is it different from jos?

Kun introduces a time clause and is used when something happens whenever/when a situation occurs (often treated as real/expected).

• Kun sataa, ... = When it rains / Whenever it rains, ...

Jos is more conditional and often more hypothetical:

• Jos sataa, ... = If it rains, ... (emphasis on the condition rather than the time/regularity)

In many everyday contexts both can be possible, but kun often sounds more like a general routine.

Why is sataa in this form—who is doing the raining?

Sataa is an impersonal verb in Finnish (like it rains in English). There is no real subject:

• You don’t say se sataa in standard Finnish.
• The verb just appears in 3rd person singular: sataa.

You can add what is falling: