Finnish/Grammar-Suffixes

^^Contents^^ <<Grammar-Vowel harmony | Grammar-Suffixes |

Now the big part! In Finnish, like all Finno-Ugric languages, there are a huge series of suffixes to represent plurals, positions, postpositions (prepositions), pronouns and descriptions. They are grouped in to 4 groups of which there is a strict order, Group 1 which are plurals, Group 2 which are positions (2a) and postpositions (2b), Group 3 which are accusative pronouns, and Group 4 which are descriptions (i.e. also, too). To describe the suffixes easily the word auto (car) is used.

Group 1: Plurals
The first group of suffixes are plurals, of which there are 3 different ways.

-t
You can pluralize many words by simply putting a "t" after the word:
 * auto → autot ; car → cars
 * kirja → kirjat ; book → books

If there are "kk", "pp", or "tt" in a word in a similar way like those below, pluralize it in the following way:


 * kukka → kukat ; flower → flowers
 * hattu → hatut ; hat → hats

If a word has "nk" in a similar way like those below, pluralize in the following way:


 * kenkä → kengät ; shoe → shoes
 * sanko → sangot ; bucket → buckets
 * henki → henget ; spirit → spirits

If a word ends with a letter "s" like those below, pluralize it in the following way:


 * varis → varikset ; crow → crows
 * tulos → tulokset ; result → results

If a word ends with "nen" like those below, pluralize it in the following way:


 * kukkanen → kukkaset ; small flower → small flowers
 * Virtanen → Virtaset ;

-i (-j)
To pluralise a word with another suffix you put an i in between the word and the suffix(es). If there is a cluster of more than 2 vowels, then the i becomes a j
 * autossani → autoissani in my car → in my cars
 * autoa → autoja car → cars (partitive)

-a
When there is a number before the word to indicate an amount, you put an a after the word (in fact this is not a plural at all, but partitive: it is the number that takes the formal role of auto in the sentence, more about that later)
 * auto → kaksi autoa car → two cars
 * autoni → kaksi autoani my car → my two cars

Exercises
Answer to these exercises are at the end of the page.

Exercise Number One
Pluralize these Finnish words. Translations in English are beside some words.


 * 1) talo (house)
 * 2) koira (dog)
 * 3) kirja (book)
 * 4) lappu  (note)
 * 5) näppäimistö (keyboard)
 * 6) takki  (coat)
 * 7) mökki (cottage)
 * 8) koti  (home)
 * 9) katu  (street)
 * 10) jalas  (runner)
 * 11) Leinonen
 * 12) kello (clock/bell)
 * 13) mato (worm)
 * 14) sänky (bed)
 * 15) piste (dot/point)

Exercise number two
Pluralize the following words. These are a bit harder than the previous ones.


 * 1) teko (act)
 * 2) lumihanki
 * 3) laite (gadget)
 * 4) pilvi
 * 5) haapa
 * 6) tuuletin
 * 7) tiede
 * 8) kanne
 * 9) kansi
 * 10) vaaka

Exercise number three
Pluralize these words which have another suffixes. There are rough translations in English.


 * 1) autossa  (in a car)
 * 2) autona (as a car)
 * 3) kellossani (in my clock)
 * 4) kelloa (clock(partitive))
 * 5) kynällä (with a pen)
 * 6) koneessa (in a machine)
 * 7) korissa (in a basket)
 * 8) kirjasta (from a book)

Exercise Number One

 * 1) talot (houses)
 * 2) koirat (dogs)
 * 3) kirjat (books)
 * 4) laput (notes)
 * 5) näppäimistöt (keyboards)
 * 6) takit
 * 7) mökit
 * 8) kodit
 * 9) kadut (streets)
 * 10) jalakset
 * 11) Leinoset
 * 12) kellot
 * 13) madot
 * 14) sängyt
 * 15) pisteet

Exercise number two

 * 1) teot (acts)
 * 2) lumihanget
 * 3) laitteet (gadgets)
 * 4) pilvet
 * 5) haavat
 * 6) tuulettimet
 * 7) tieteet
 * 8) kanteet
 * 9) kannet
 * 10) vaa'at

Exercise number three

 * 1) autoissa (in cars)
 * 2) autoina (as cars)
 * 3) kelloissani (in my clocks)
 * 4) kelloja ((clocks)partitive)
 * 5) kynillä (with pens)
 * 6) koneissa (in machines)
 * 7) koreissa (in baskets)
 * 8) kirjoista (from books)