Ulkoillaan

Ulkoillaan is the present passive form of the Finnish verb ulkoilla, meaning to spend time outdoors or to go outside. It expresses an impersonal or general action without specifying a subject, and is commonly used in descriptive, instructional, or schedule-like text. The passive form typically uses the suffixes -aan or -ään, which mark the construction as generic rather than tied to a particular person or group. In practice, ulkoillaan can translate roughly to “one goes outdoors” or “people go outdoors” in English.

Use and nuance: Ulkoillaan is especially common in signs, guidelines, and routines where the writer wants to describe a customary activity without naming who performs it. It conveys a matter-of-fact tone and can stand for everyday practices, such as school or daycare routines, outdoor time in workplaces, or community programs. Because it is impersonal, the form keeps the focus on the activity rather than on the actors involved.

Examples: A typical sentence is “Koulun pihalla ulkoillaan joka päivä klo 9,” meaning that outdoor time at the school yard occurs every day at 9 o’clock. Another example might be “Säätilanteen mukaan ulkoillaan varjoisassa tai aurinkoisessa paikassa,” indicating outdoor activity adjusted to weather conditions.

Related terms: Ulkoilla belongs to the same verb family as ulkoilu (nouns for outdoor time) and ulkoilma (not a standard word in modern Finnish; related forms include ulkoilua and ulkoilun). The form ulkoillaan complements other passive or impersonal constructions in Finnish grammar.