Time phrases

ago · назад

Counts back from now, with the plain count: viikko sitten, neljä päivää sitten. The little words that count forward take the genitive instead: viikon kuluttua.

in (a time from now), … later · через; спустя

Counts forward, from now or from any moment in a story: hetken kuluttua alkoi sataa is a moment later. Päästä means the same and is the usual word in speech. Like talon edessä, the landmark takes the genitive: kahden viikon kuluttua.

around, about (a time) · около

Three ways to say about the same time. Maissa goes mostly with clock times, aikoihin with other times too (samoihin aikoihin, around the same time), and paikkeilla with places as well. The number before them takes the genitive: kahden, not kaksi.

during, within · во время; за

Something happens inside the period, at one point or several. A stretch that fills the whole period is a measure instead: Satoi koko päivän, it rained all day.

since, from (then on) · с

The -⁠sta is the start, and any of the four words after it means from then on. Asti and saakka only mean all the way: after -⁠sta they mean since, after -⁠Vn until. In space too: Vaasasta asti, all the way from Vaasa.

until, up to · до

The -⁠Vn is the end: something lasts and stops there. For something that happens once, before a point, Finnish says mennessä. Russian до covers both.

from … to … · с … до …

Both edges at once, with the same endings as a trip: Helsingistä Tampereelle, aamusta iltaan.

by (at the latest) · к

Something happens once, at some point before the deadline. Something that lasts until a point takes asti. Russian к is mennessä, but до can be either.

by (a clock time or a day) · к

With a clock time, -⁠ksi is the time to be there or ready by: Tule kahdeksaksi = Tule kahdeksaan mennessä. Eight o’clock itself, the answer to Moneltako?, is kahdeksalta.

for (a length) · год, три года (без предлога)

A length counts like an object. One whole unit takes -⁠n, the form the textbook calls G: tunnin, as in luin kirjan. A number takes the partitive: kaksi tuntia, as in kaksi kirjaa. Koko counts as one whole: koko päivän.

for (a planned length) · на

The length you plan when you set off, arrive or borrow: lähteä, tulla, jäädä, lainata. How it actually went is a measure: Otto oli Singaporessa kaksi vuotta. Russian на makes the same split.

in (the time it takes) · за

How long it takes to get something done. If it doesn’t get done, measure it: Luin kirjaa kaksi päivää. English in also means from now, which is kuluttua.

for (how long something hasn’t happened) · уже … не

In a negative sentence, the stretch of not doing it runs up to now, so it points to now: -⁠Vn, the whole phrase. English for and Russian год don’t change between yes and no; Finnish does.

after a long time / not for a long time · впервые за долгое время / давно не

When the long gap ends, you come out of it: pitkästä aikaa. While it lasts, in a negative sentence, it runs up to now: pitkään aikaan, the same -⁠Vn as vuoteen.

in time, early enough · вовремя

The opposite is myöhässä, late.

late

The opposite of ajoissa: Juna on myöhässä.