Language/Finnish/Vocabulary/Verb-Types

Finnish 6 Verb Types

Here is one of the generally accepted classifications of verbs. NB: there are other possible models.

Verbs are divided into verb types based on what they look like in their basic (infinitive) form as well as how they change when being conjugated.

Consider exploring these related pages after completing this lesson: Family, Finnish Vocabulary → Numbers 1-20, Months of the Year & Hobbies and Leisure.

Type 1

Verbs belonging to this type have an infinitive that ends in 2 vowels (-aa, -ea, -eä, -ia, -iä, -oa, -ua, -yä, -ää, -öä). To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, you remove the final -a or -ä from the infinitive.

	Puhua (to speak)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	puhun	I speak
sinä	puhut	you speak
hän	puhuu	he/she speaks
me	puhumme	we speak
te	puhutte	you speak
he	puhuvat	they speak

	Sanoa (to say)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	sanon	I say
sinä	sanot	you say
hän	sanoo	he/she says
me	sanomme	we say
te	sanotte	you say
he	sanovat	they say

	kysyä (to ask)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	kysyn	I ask
sinä	kysyt	you ask
hän	kysyy	he/she asks
me	kysymme	we ask
te	kysytte	you ask
he	kysyvät	they ask

Type 2

This Type consists of verbs that end in -da/-dä. To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, you remove the -da/-dä. Notice that the third person singular doesn’t get the final letter doubled like in type 1!

	Saada (to get)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	saan	I get
sinä	saat	you get
hän	saa	he/she gets
me	saamme	we get
te	saatte	you get
he	saavat	they get

	Juoda (to drink)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	juon	I drink
sinä	juot	you drink
he/she	juo	he/she drinks
me	juomme	we drink
te	juotte	you drink
he	juovat	they drink

	Syödä (to eat)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	syön	I eat
sinä	syöt	you eat
hän	syö	he/she eats
me	syömme	we eat
te	syötte	you eat
he	syövät	they eat

Type 3

Verbs belonging to this Type end in -lla/-llä, -nna/-nnä, -rra/-rrä, -sta/-stä (in other words: in two consonants and a vowel). To find these verbs’ infinitive stem, remove the -la/-lä, -na/-nä, -ra/-rä, or -ta/-tä. To this stem, you add an -e- before adding the personal ending!

	Tulla (to come)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	tulen	I come
sinä	tulet	you come
hän	tulee	he/she comes
me	tulemme	we come
te	tulette	you come
he	tulevat	they come

	Mennä (to go)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	menen	I go
sinä	menet	you go
hän	menee	he/she goes
me	menemme	we go
te	menette	you go
he	menevät	they go

	Nousta (to get up)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	nousen	I get up
sinä	nouset	you get up
hän	nousee	he/she gets up
me	nousemme	we get up
te	nousette	you get up
he	nousevat	they get up

Type 4

Verbs belonging to Type 4 end in -ata/-ätä, -ota/-ötä, -uta/-ytä. To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, you remove the -t (so NOT the final -a!). Some sources will tell you to remove the -ta and then add an -a. This comes down to the same thing.

The third person singular gets an -a added to the end when the two vowels from the stem are different vowels. When the two vowels are -aa- it wouldn’t make sense to add a third one, so we add nothing (e.g. hän halua+a is correct, but hän osaa+a doesn’t work).

	Haluta (to want)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	haluan	I want
sinä	haluat	you want
hän	haluaa	he/she wants
me	haluamme	we want
te	haluatte	you want
he	haluavat	they want

	Osata (to be able to)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	osaan	I am able to
sinä	osaat	you are able to
hän	osaa	he/she is able to
me	osaamme	we are able to
te	osaatte	you are able to
he	osaavat	they are able to

	Pakata (to pack)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	pakkaan	I pack
sinä	pakkaat	you pack
hän	pakkaa	he/she packs
me	pakkaamme	we pack
te	pakkaatte	you pack
he	pakkaavat	they pack

Type 5

Type 5 is quite rare compared to the other Finnish Types. Verbs belonging to this Type end in -ita/-itä. To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, you remove the final -ta/-tä. To this stem, you then add -tse- before adding the personal ending!

Some sources will give you a different rule. They recommend removing the -ita/-itä (so also removing the -i-) and adding -itse- to that stem before adding the personal ending. The end result is the same, so choose whichever method makes more sense to you.

There are some sources that combine Type 3 and Type 5, based on how both receive an extra -e- when being conjugated.

	Häiritä (to disturb)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	häiritsen	I disturb
sinä	häiritset	you disturb
hän	häiritsee	he/she disturbs
me	häiritsemme	we disturb
te	häiritsette	you disturb
he	häiritsevät	they disturb

	Tarvita (to need)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	tarvitsen	I need
sinä	tarvitset	you need
hän	tarvitsee	he/she needs
me	tarvitsemme	we need
te	tarvitsette	you need
he	tarvitsevat	they need

	Hallita (to rule)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	hallitsen	I rule
sinä	hallitset	you rule
hän	hallitsee	he/she rules
me	hallitsemme	we rule
te	hallitsette	you rule
he	hallitsevat	they rule

Type 6

Type 6 is the most rarely used of all the Finnish Types. Most of these verbs have something in common when you translate them: their meaning will usually be “to become something”. This implies a change from one state to another (becoming cold, hot, old, etc). There are, however, exceptions that do not follow this pattern. Most of these verbs that imply a change will have an adjective as their base (e.g. vanheta – vanha, lämmetä – lämmin, laajeta – laaja).

This type of verb ends in -eta/-etä. To find the infinitive stem for Type 6, you remove the final -ta/-tä. To this stem, you then add -ne- before adding the personal ending.

	Vanheta (to become old)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	vanhenen	I become old
sinä	vanhenet	you become old
hän	vanhenee	he/she becomes old
me	vanhenemme	we become old
te	vanhenette	you become old
he	vanhenevat	they become old

	Lämmetä (to become warm)
Person	Conjugation	English
minä	lämpenen	I become warm
sinä	lämpenet	you become warm
hän	lämpenee	he/she becomes warm
me	lämpenemme	we become warm
te	lämpenette	you become warm
he	lämpenevät	they become warm

Sources

• https://uusikielemme.fi/finnish-grammar/consonant-gradation/the-finnish-Types
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8lqApIioAI

Other Lessons

• Basic Phrases in Finnish
• People in Finnish
• Count to 10
• At Home
• Family
• Colors
• Essential Phrases in Finnish
• Drinks
• Weather
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Parts of the Body
• Months of the Year
• Food
• Animals
• Dinner Table