sateessa

Sateessa is the inessive form of the Finnish noun sade, meaning rain. It is used to express that something is located in rain or that an action takes place during rain. The expression is common in weather descriptions and in narrative prose.

As a grammatical form, sateessa is formed by adding the locative suffix -ssa to the stem sade. Since the stem ends with a vowel, the result is the double-e spelling sateessa, reflecting Finnish vowel harmony and spelling conventions.

Examples of usage include: Hän kulkee sateessa ilman sadevarjoa. Puiston polut ovat liukkaita sateessa. These sentences show how sateessa indicates the setting of a moment or action in rainy conditions.

Beyond its literal meaning, sateessa can contribute to mood and atmosphere in Finnish prose and dialogue, signaling rain-driven changes in activity or feeling. It is a neutral, everyday expression and is often contrasted with phrases describing dry conditions or heavier rain, such as vesisateessa for a downpour or simply sadepäivä for a rainy day.