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.
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
|
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
|
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
|
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 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 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
|
Learn Finnish! Lesson 17: The verb BE - OLLA-verbi - YouTube[edit | edit source]