Ranskassa puhutaan ranskaa. - Finnish example sentence

warning

Your sentence was not added because the following already exists.

star This sentence belongs to a native speaker.

warning

This sentence is not reliable.

content_copy

Copy sentence

info

Go to sentence page

subdirectory_arrow_right

warning

Translations

Unlink this translation

link

Make into direct translation

chevron_right

Existing sentence #{{::translation.id}} has been added as a translation.

edit

Edit this translation

warning

This sentence is not reliable.

content_copy

Copy sentence

info

Go to sentence page

subdirectory_arrow_right

warning

Translations of translations

Unlink this translation

link

Make into direct translation

chevron_right

Existing sentence #{{::translation.id}} has been added as a translation.

edit

Edit this translation

warning

This sentence is not reliable.

content_copy

Copy sentence

info

Go to sentence page

subdirectory_arrow_right

warning

{{vm.sentence.expandLabel}} Fewer translations

Eldad January 24, 2015 January 24, 2015 at 7:58:51 PM UTC

flag

Report

link

Permalink

Hi Silja,
Is "puhutaan" similar to "they speak" (without a pronoun), or is it something else?

Silja January 24, 2015 January 24, 2015 at 9:07:29 PM UTC

flag

Report

link

Permalink

Yes, kind of. It's the Finnish passive form (which isn't strictly speaking a genuine passive form, but just a way to express something without mentioning who's doing or acting, and there is always a human actor behind the act).

In spoken language ”puhutaan” it's also used as the plural first person verb form instead of ”puhumme”.

Eldad January 24, 2015, edited January 24, 2015 January 24, 2015 at 9:09:08 PM UTC, edited January 24, 2015 at 9:11:24 PM UTC

flag

Report

link

Permalink

Aha. Thanks, that's what I thought. So, it's quite similar to the French "on" (for instance, "On parle", meaning "we are speaking").