The Guardian World 1d ago Original

Yhdysvallat estää monia ilmastopakolaisia pääsemästä maahan.

The United States prevents many climate refugees from entering the country.

Finnish · A1 level

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1.

Trump haluaa vähentää maahanmuuttoa.

Trump wants to reduce immigration.
2.

39 maata on listalla.

39 countries are on the list.
3.

Nämä maat ovat vaarassa ilmastonmuutoksen takia.

These countries are at risk because of climate change.
4.

Ihmiset pakenevat myrskyjä, tulvia ja kuivuutta.

People flee storms, floods, and droughts.
5.

Trumpin hallinto haluaa lisätä fossiilisten polttoaineiden käyttöä.

Trump’s administration wants to increase the use of fossil fuels.
6.

Ilmaston lämpeneminen pahentaa tilannetta entisestään.

Global warming is making the situation even worse.
7.

Pakolaiset tarvitsevat apua.

Refugees need help.
8.

Monet ihmiset pelkäävät.

Many people are afraid.

Key Words

Word	English	Form
estää estää	to prevent/block prevents/blocks	present tense, 3rd person singular
pakolainen ilmastopakolaisia	refugee climate refugees	partitive plural
vaara vaarassa	danger/risk at risk	inessive case (location inside a state)
pahentaa pahentaa	to worsen worsens	present tense, 3rd person singular
tarvita tarvitsevat	to need need	present tense, 3rd person plural
pelätä pelkäävät	to fear are afraid	present tense, 3rd person plural

0. Yhdysvallat estää monia ilmastopakolaisia pääsemästä maahan.

The verb 'estää' (to prevent) is often followed by the elative case ('-stä/-sta') when referring to preventing someone from doing something. Here, 'pääsemästä' is the elative form of the 3rd infinitive of 'päästä' (to enter). This structure is common in Finnish to express prevention: 'Estää + object + 3rd infinitive (elative).' For example, 'Hän estää minua lähtemästä' (He prevents me from leaving).

3. Nämä maat ovat vaarassa ilmastonmuutoksen takia.

The inessive case ('-ssa/-ssä') is used here to describe a state or condition, such as 'vaarassa' (at risk/in danger). This case is often used with adjectives or nouns to indicate a temporary state. For example, 'olla onnellisessa tilanteessa' (to be in a happy situation). Learners can use this structure to describe conditions: 'olla + noun (inessive).'

4. Ihmiset pakenevat myrskyjä, tulvia ja kuivuutta.

The verb 'paeta' (to flee) is used here in the present tense plural form 'pakenevat.' Finnish verbs in the present tense often end in '-vat/-vät' for the 3rd person plural. This is a straightforward way to describe habitual or ongoing actions. For example, 'He syövät' (They eat). Learners can practice this by conjugating verbs in the present tense for plural subjects.