Skip to content
  • How does WordDive work?
    • Mobile apps
    • Articles
    • WordDive experiences
  • Learn languages
    • English
    • Spanish
    • Finnish
    • Swedish
    • German
    • French
    • Italian
    • Estonian
    • Russian
    • Japanese
    • Grammar
    • Gift card
  • For companies
  • About us
    • Open positions
  • Contact us
    • Frequently Asked Questions

Finnish grammar

6. Verbs

6.1 Personal conjugation of verbs

  • Introduction

  • 1. Vowel harmony
  • 1.1 Vowel harmony

  • 2. KPT change
  • 2.1 Regular KPT change

  • 2.2 Reverse KPT change

  • 3. Cases
  • 3.1 Nominative / T-plural

  • 3.2 Genitive

  • 3.3 Partitive

  • 3.4 Locative cases – Missä? Mistä? Mihin?

  • 3.5 Use of locative cases

  • 3.6 Essive (-na/-nä) vs. translative (-ksi)

  • 4. Object
  • 4.1 Object formation and use

  • 5. Word types
  • 5.1 Word types ending in vowels

  • 5.2 Word types ending in consonants

  • 6. Verbs
  • 6.1 Personal conjugation of verbs

  • 6.2 Verb types

  • 6.3 Rection

  • 6.4 Verb + verb

  • 6.5 Past simple tense

  • 7. Plural partitive
  • 7.1 Use and formation of plural partitive

  • 8. Pronouns
  • 8.1 Personal pronouns

  • 8.2 Demonstrative pronouns

  • 9. Sentence types
  • 9.1 Sentence types

  • 10. Spoken language
  • 10.1 Vowel and consonant changes

  • 10.2 Verbs in spoken language

  • 10.3 Me passive

  • Introduction

  • 1. Vowel harmony

  • 1.1 Vowel harmony

  • 2. KPT change

  • 2.1 Regular KPT change

  • 2.2 Reverse KPT change

  • 3. Cases

  • 3.1 Nominative / T-plural

  • 3.2 Genitive

  • 3.3 Partitive

  • 3.4 Locative cases – Missä? Mistä? Mihin?

  • 3.5 Use of locative cases

  • 3.6 Essive (-na/-nä) vs. translative (-ksi)

  • 4. Object

  • 4.1 Object formation and use

  • 5. Word types

  • 5.1 Word types ending in vowels

  • 5.2 Word types ending in consonants

  • 6. Verbs

  • 6.1 Personal conjugation of verbs

  • 6.2 Verb types

  • 6.3 Rection

  • 6.4 Verb + verb

  • 6.5 Past simple tense

  • 7. Plural partitive

  • 7.1 Use and formation of plural partitive

  • 8. Pronouns

  • 8.1 Personal pronouns

  • 8.2 Demonstrative pronouns

  • 9. Sentence types

  • 9.1 Sentence types

  • 10. Spoken language

  • 10.1 Vowel and consonant changes

  • 10.2 Verbs in spoken language

  • 10.3 Me passive

In Finnish, verbs are conjugated according to the person. It means that we need to add an ending that tells who does something. There are six endings, and they are the same in every tense and verb type.

minä puhun
sinä puhut
hän puhuu
me puhumme
te puhutte
he puhuvat

 

In Finnish, the negation ei is conjugated in the same way as verbs. That’s why a personal ending needs to be added to the word ei.

minä puhun → minä en puhu
sinä puhut → sinä et puhu
hän puhuu → hän ei puhu
me puhumme → me emme puhu
te puhutte → te ette puhu
he puhuvat → he eivät puhu

 

In a question sentence, the ending -ko/-kö is added to the verb.

Puhunko minä?
Puhutko sinä?
Puhuuko hän?
Puhummeko me?
Puhutteko te?
Puhuvatko he?

 

The personal pronouns minä, sinä, me, te can often be omitted, as the verb ending already tells us who does something.

Minä puhun suomea. = Puhun suomea.

Puhutko sinä suomea? = Puhutko suomea?

Me emme puhu suomea. = Emme puhu suomea.

Puhutteko te suomea? = Puhutteko suomea?

 

When giving instructions, asking for something or commanding, use the imperative (= command form). You can make the imperative e.g. from the sinä form of a verb, when you take out the -t. In a negative command sentence, add älä before the verb.

sinä puhu/t → Puhu! / Älä puhu!
you speak →Speak! / Don’t speak!

Sinä puhut hyvin suomea.
You speak Finnish well.

Puhu suomea! Älä puhu englantia!
Speak Finnish! Don’t speak English!

Learn Finnish
Beginning 6.2 Verb types
Break the language barrier with the Finnish methods
Apple app store
Google play store
Finnish service
  • Activate Code or Key
  • Buy a Gift Card
  • Grammar
  • Articles
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Cookies

Social media

Facebooking logo. Instagramin logo LinkedInin logo.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscribe