Language/Finnish/Grammar/Finnish-Participles

Finnish Grammar → Intermediate Finnish → Finnish Participles

As a Finnish language teacher with 20 years of experience, I know that learning Finnish can be challenging. However, once you get the hang of it, it can also be a lot of fun! In this lesson, we will focus on Finnish participles and how to use them to form more complex sentences.

What are Participles?

Participles are verb forms that function as adjectives, nouns, or parts of verb phrases. Finnish has two participle forms: the active participle and the passive participle.

The active participle is formed by adding the suffix "-va/-vä" to the stem of the verb. For example, the stem of the verb "tanssia" (to dance) is "tanssi-". Adding "-va/-vä" to the stem gives us "tanssiva" (dancing).

The passive participle is formed by adding the suffix "-ttu/-tty" to the stem of the verb. For example, the stem of the verb "katsoa" (to look) is "katso-". Adding "-ttu/-tty" to the stem gives us "katsottu" (looked).

Both the active and passive participles decline like adjectives according to the noun they describe. Let's take a look at some examples:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English
Tanssiva nainen	[tɑnsːivɑ nɑi̯nen]	Dancing woman
Katsottu elokuva	[kɑtsotːu elokuʋɑ]	Watched movie

In the first example, "tanssiva" (dancing) is a description of the noun "nainen" (woman). In the second example, "katsottu" (watched) is used as an adjective to describe the noun "elokuva" (movie).

Using Participles to Form Sentences

Participles can be used to form more complex sentences in Finnish. They can be used in a variety of ways, including:

Relative Clauses

Participles can be used to form relative clauses, which are subordinate clauses that describe or provide additional information about a noun or pronoun in the main clause. In Finnish, relative clauses are formed using the conjunctions "joka" or "mikä", which mean "who" or "which".

For example:

• "Näin juuri sen miehen, joka auttoi minua." (I just saw the man who helped me.)
• "Lainaamani kirja, jonka kanssa olin aiemmin ongelmissa, osoittautui mielenkiintoiseksi." (The book I borrowed, which I had trouble with earlier, turned out to be interesting.)

In both of these examples, the relative clause is formed using a participle ("auttoi" - helped, "lainaamani" - borrowed).

Compound Verbs

Participles can also be used to form compound verbs in Finnish. Compound verbs are formed by combining a verb with a participle, which can either be active or passive.

For example:

• "Laitan astiat tiskikoneeseen." (I put the dishes in the dishwasher.)
• "Olen unohtanut antaa sinulle kirjan takaisin." (I have forgotten to give you back the book.)

In both of these examples, the compound verbs are formed using a participle ("tiskikoneeseen" - into the dishwasher, "antaa" - give) combined with a verb ("laitan" - put, "olen unohtanut" - have forgotten).

Adverbial Phrases

Participles can also be used to form adverbial phrases, which function as adverbs to describe how, when, where, or why an action is performed. Adverbial phrases formed using participles are often used to show simultaneous or consecutive actions.

For example:

• "Aamupalaa syöden luen aina sanomalehden." (I always read the newspaper while eating breakfast.)
• "Valioliigaa katsoen unohdin kokonaan ajan kulun." (Watching the Premier League, I completely lost track of time.)

In both of these examples, the adverbial phrase is formed using a participle ("syöden" - eating, "katsoen" - watching).

Conclusion

In conclusion, participles are an important part of Finnish grammar that can be used to form more complex sentences. Once you get the hang of how to use them, you will be able to express yourself more precisely and eloquently in Finnish.

I hope this lesson has been helpful in your journey to learn Finnish! If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Sources

• Finnish Grammar
• Finnish Verbs

Table of Contents - Finnish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Finnish

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Adjectives

• Noun Cases
• Adjective Agreement

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Leisure

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Forming Questions
• Negation

  ---

Food and Dining

• Food Vocabulary
• Dining Out

  ---

Prepositions and Postpositions

• Prepositions
• Postpositions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Finnish Culture and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Finnish Sauna

  ---

Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons

  ---

Conjunctions and Subordinate Clauses

• Conjunctions
• Subordinate Clauses

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Finnish Literature and Music

• Finnish Literature
• Finnish Music