Word types

Formation

When the last syllable of a word begins with kk, pp, tt or a single k, p, t, the basic form has the strong grade. An ending that closes the syllable, such as -n, -ssa, -sta, -lla, -lta, -lle and the plural -t, brings the weak grade.

Use

The strong grade is used in the basic form, the partitive (kauppaa), the illative (kauppaan) and with -na (keskiviikkona), where the syllable is open. Names change in the same way: Pekka → Pekan, Matti → Matille. Verbs of type 1 follow the same pattern: Verb type 1 with k, p, t changing: luen, kirjoitan, odotan, lukee.

Formation

After n, m, l or r, the weak grade takes the sound of the consonant before it: nk → ng, mp → mm, nt → nn, lt → ll, rt → rr. The endings that bring the change are those of kk → k. The letters ng stand for one long sound, as in English singer.

Use

The strong grade is used in the same forms as with kk: kaupunkia, kaupunkiin, rantaa, rantaan. Kaupungissa is “in the town”, kaupungilla “out in town”, among the streets and shops.

Formation

In a word ending in -nen, the ending becomes -se- before most case endings: nainen → naisen, naisessa, naiseen. In the partitive it becomes -s-, followed by -ta/-tä: naista. These words have no consonant gradation.

Use

Many adjectives are -nen words: the colours (punainen, keltainen, valkoinen, sininen), the nationalities (suomalainen, englantilainen) and others such as onnellinen. An adjective agrees with its noun: punaisessa autossa.

Formation

Words ending in -i fall into three groups. New words, many of them borrowed, keep the -i: bussi → bussin, bussia. Old words change -i to -e- before an ending: ovi → oven, kieli → kielen, joki → joen. Old words in -si have -de- before most endings and -t- in the partitive: vesi → veden, vettä; uusi → uuden, uutta.

Use

The basic form does not show the group: the genitive is learnt with the word. In an old word ending in l, n or r before the -i, the partitive takes -ta/-tä straight after the consonant: kieltä, pientä; the other old words take -a/-ä after -e-: ovea.

Formation

A word ending in -e takes a second e before an ending: huone → huoneen, huoneessa. The partitive takes -tta/-ttä after the single e: huonetta. The illative is -seen: huoneeseen.

Use

A compound word is inflected like its last part: olohuone → olohuoneessa, tietokone → tietokoneen. Some -e words also change a consonant, such as koe → kokeen; they are met at a later level.

Formation

In these words the final -s becomes -kse- before most endings: kysymys → kysymyksen, kysymyksessä; vastaus → vastauksen; vihannes → vihanneksen. The partitive takes -ta/-tä straight after the -s of the basic form: kysymystä, vastausta, vihannesta.

Use

Nouns formed from an adjective, such as rakkaus (love, from rakas) → rakkauden, belong to another type, met at a later level.

Formation

The personal pronouns take the case endings of nouns. The forms in -lla/-llä say who has something (minulla on), the forms in -lle say “to me, for me”. The demonstratives have stems of their own: tämä (this) → tämän, tätä, tässä; tuo (that) → tuon, tuota, tuossa; se (it, that) → sen, sitä, siinä.

Use

Before a noun, a demonstrative agrees with it: tässä talossa, tätä kirjaa, tuon naisen. Standing alone, se refers to a thing: sen nimi (its name), siinä (in it). Soittaa (phone) and antaa (give) take the person in -lle: Soitan sinulle.