You might already know that 'ilma' means 'air' in Finnish. For example, 'raikas ilma' means 'fresh air'.
However, 'ilma' can also mean 'weather'. In this context, you might hear phrases like 'millainen ilma tänään on?' which translates to 'what is the weather like today?'
Or, you could say 'ulkona on hyvä ilma', meaning 'the weather outside is good'.
So, depending on the context, 'ilma' can refer to the air we breathe or the atmospheric conditions we experience.
§ What does ilma mean?
- Definition
- air / weather
The Finnish word ilma is a super useful one to know. It has two main meanings: 'air' and 'weather.' This might seem a bit tricky at first, but you'll quickly get the hang of it because the context usually makes it clear which meaning is being used. Think of it like how in English, you can say 'How's the weather?' or 'The air is fresh.' Finns use ilma for both.
§ When to use ilma for 'air'
When ilma means 'air,' it refers to the gas we breathe, or the general atmosphere around us. You'll hear it in contexts related to breathing, the quality of the air, or open spaces. For example, if you're talking about fresh air outside, or air conditioning inside, you'll use ilma.
Raikas ilma ulkona on hyväksi.
Translation hint: 'Fresh air outside is good.'
Tarvitsemme lisää ilmaa tilaan.
Translation hint: 'We need more air in the space.'
§ When to use ilma for 'weather'
This is probably the more common usage you'll encounter for A1 learners. When ilma means 'weather,' it's used to describe the atmospheric conditions – is it sunny, rainy, cold, warm? Finns talk about the weather a lot, just like English speakers, so this is an essential word for daily conversation.
Millainen ilma tänään on?
Translation hint: 'What kind of weather is it today?' (Literally: 'What kind of air today is?')
Tänään on kaunis ilma.
Translation hint: 'Today is beautiful weather.'
Huomenna voi olla huono ilma.
Translation hint: 'Tomorrow there might be bad weather.'
§ Common phrases with ilma
Let's look at some fixed expressions and common ways ilma is used, to help you understand it in real conversations:
- Avoilma: This literally means 'open air' but is used for outdoor events, like an 'open-air concert.'
- Sääilma: This combines 'sää' (weather) and 'ilma' (air/weather). It specifically means 'weather forecast.'
- Hyvä ilma: Good weather.
- Huono ilma: Bad weather.
- Selkeä ilma: Clear weather.
You'll notice that Finnish often forms compound words, so sometimes ilma will be part of a longer word to create a new meaning. Pay attention to the first part of the compound to get a clue about the overall meaning.
§ In summary
Don't be intimidated by the dual meaning of ilma. In most daily situations, the context will make it very clear if you're talking about the air you breathe or the weather outside. Just remember these two core meanings:
- Air: Think about breathing, fresh air, inside air.
- Weather: Think about sunny, rainy, cold, warm conditions.
Keep practicing with examples, and you'll soon use ilma like a native! This word is fundamental for basic communication in Finnish.
Le savais-tu ?
Related to Estonian 'ilm' (weather) and Hungarian 'elem' (element).
Origine du mot
Proto-Finnic *ilma
Sens originel : air, weather, sky
UralicContexte culturel
The word 'ilma' is very common in everyday Finnish. It's used for both the air we breathe and for discussing the weather, which is a popular topic of conversation in Finland.
Teste-toi 36 questions
Which word means 'air' or 'weather'?
'Ilma' is the Finnish word for air or weather. 'Vesi' is water, 'maa' is land/earth, and 'tuli' is fire.
The sentence 'Ilma on kylmä' means:
'Ilma' means air/weather, 'on' means is, and 'kylmä' means cold. So, 'Ilma on kylmä' translates to 'The air is cold' or 'The weather is cold.'
What would you say if the weather is nice?
'Ilma on hyvä' means 'The weather is good.' 'Vesi on kuuma' is 'The water is hot.' 'Maa on märkä' is 'The land is wet.' 'Tuli on pieni' is 'The fire is small.'
In Finnish, 'ilma' can refer to both the air we breathe and the weather outside.
Yes, 'ilma' is a versatile word that covers both meanings: atmospheric air and meteorological conditions (weather).
The sentence 'Ilma on aurinkoinen' means 'The air is rainy.'
No, 'Ilma on aurinkoinen' means 'The weather is sunny.' 'Aurinkoinen' means sunny, not rainy.
If someone says 'Ilma on raikas,' they mean the air is fresh.
That's correct! 'Raikas' means fresh, so 'Ilma on raikas' means 'The air is fresh.'
This sentence means 'Today the weather is cold.' The usual word order in Finnish is Subject-Verb-Object, but 'ilma' (weather) often comes before the verb 'on' (is) when talking about the weather.
This means 'The outdoor air is fresh now.' In Finnish, adjectives like 'raikas' (fresh) typically come before the noun they describe. 'Nyt' (now) often appears at the end of the sentence.
This means 'Clean air is good for health.' 'Puhdas' (clean) describes 'ilma' (air). 'Hyväksi' means 'good for' and 'terveydelle' is the allative case of 'terveys' (health).
Vaikka satoi koko päivän, huomisen ____ pitäisi olla parempi.
Tässä 'ilma' viittaa säähän, ei elementtiin. 'Huomisen ilma' tarkoittaa 'huomisen sää'.
Avoimen ikkunan kautta sisään virtaa raikasta ____.
'Ilma' on tässä partitiivimuodossa (ilmaa), koska se on objektina ja verbi 'virtaa' ilmaisee virtaamista tai virtaamista jonnekin.
Miten voit hengittää tätä saastunutta ____?
Tässä kontekstissa 'ilmaa' viittaa yleisesti hengitettävään ilmaan. 'Saastunutta ilmaa' on 'polluted air'.
Miten ____ voi muuttua niin nopeasti Pohjoismaissa?
Tässä 'ilma' viittaa nimenomaan säähän, 'weather'. Sää muuttuu nopeasti. 'Miten ilma voi muuttua...' on 'How can the weather change...'.
Kesällä on mukava nauttia lämpimästä ____ ulkona.
Tässä 'ilmasta' on elatiivissa ja viittaa yleisesti lämpimään ilmapiiriin tai ulkoilmaan. 'Lämpimästä ilmasta' tarkoittaa 'warm air'.
Huono ____ voi pilata koko retken.
'Huono ilma' tässä viittaa huonoon säähän, 'bad weather'. Vaikka 'sää' on myös mahdollinen, 'ilma' on myös yleisesti käytössä tässä merkityksessä.
The quality of air has deteriorated in cities.
Today's weather forecast promises fair weather.
Is the air outside good for jogging?
Read this aloud:
Mitä mieltä olet ilmastonmuutoksesta ja sen vaikutuksista ilmanlaatuun?
Focus: ilmastonmuutoksesta
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Kuvaile, millainen on mielestäsi täydellinen kesäpäivän ilma.
Focus: täydellinen kesäpäivän ilma
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Millaisia toimenpiteitä voitaisiin tehdä ilman saastumisen vähentämiseksi?
Focus: saastumisen vähentämiseksi
Tu as dit :
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Which of these words best completes the sentence: 'Sateen jälkeen ilma oli ______ ja raikas.'
'Kostea' (damp/humid) fits best with 'sateen jälkeen' (after the rain) and 'raikas' (fresh), indicating the air quality.
Mitä tarkoittaa ilmaus 'antaa ilmaa jollekin asialle'?
The idiom 'antaa ilmaa jollekin asialle' means to give something space or breathing room, often for discussion or development.
Choose the most appropriate synonym for 'ilmanala' in the context of describing the Earth's atmosphere.
'Ilmanala' specifically refers to the climate or atmospheric conditions of a region, making 'ilmasto' (climate) the closest synonym.
Expression 'vetää tyhjää ilmaa' means to take a deep breath of fresh air.
'Vetää tyhjää ilmaa' actually means to do something in vain or to achieve nothing, literally 'to draw empty air'.
If someone says 'olla puhtaassa ilmassa', they mean they are outside enjoying the fresh air.
'Olla puhtaassa ilmassa' literally means 'to be in clean air,' implying being outdoors or in a place with good air quality.
The phrase 'lukea ilmasta' implies being able to predict the weather accurately without instruments.
'Lukea ilmasta' is an idiom meaning to read between the lines or to understand something implicitly, not related to weather prediction.
This sentence translates to 'Today the air is fresh.' The most natural word order in Finnish often places the time expression first.
This translates to 'Outside the weather is rainy.' 'Ulkona' (outside) usually starts the sentence when describing outdoor conditions.
This means 'It's wonderful to breathe clean air.' In Finnish, the object (puhdasta ilmaa) often comes before the verb when it's the focus.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
