Once you know Types 1–3, the last three classes are small and each has a single, recognisable stem shape. Type 4 ends the infinitive in a short vowel + -ta/-tä and builds a long-vowel stem; Type 5 ends in -ita/-itä and builds a -tse- stem; Type 6 ends in -eta/-etä and builds a -ene- stem. The personal endings are the same six you already know; only the stem changes. This page conjugates one representative of each type in full and flags the trap they share — inverse gradation.
Type 4: the long-vowel stem (tavata, haluta)
Type 4 infinitives such as tavata (meet), haluta (want), osata (know how), pelata (play) drop -ta/-tä and lengthen the preceding vowel into the stem: tavata → tapaa-, haluta → halua-, osata → osaa-. Because the stem already ends in a long vowel, the third person adds nothing, exactly like Type 2.
| Person | tavata (meet) | haluta (want) |
|---|---|---|
| minä | tapaan | haluan |
| sinä | tapaat | haluat |
| hän | tapaa | haluaa |
| me | tapaamme | haluamme |
| te | tapaatte | haluatte |
| he | tapaavat | haluavat |
Notice that tavata changes its consonant: the -v- of the infinitive becomes -p- in the stem tapaa-. This is inverse gradation — the infinitive shows the weak grade and the personal forms show the strong one, the mirror image of ordinary Type 1 verbs. haluta, with no gradating consonant, simply keeps halua- throughout.
Tapaan ystäväni kahvilassa ja sitten menemme elokuviin.
I'm meeting my friend at the café and then we're going to the movies.
Haluatko kahvia vai teetä?
Do you want coffee or tea?
Lapset osaavat jo uida, mutta he pelaavat mieluummin rannalla.
The kids already know how to swim, but they'd rather play on the beach.
Type 5: the -tse- stem (tarvita, valita)
Type 5 is a tidy little class: every member ends in -ita/-itä, and the stem replaces that with -itse-. So tarvita → tarvitse- (need), valita → valitse- (choose), häiritä → häiritse- (disturb). There is no gradation to worry about; the -tse- stays put in every person, and the third person doubles the -e- to -ee.
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| minä | tarvitsen | I need |
| sinä | tarvitset | you need |
| hän | tarvitsee | he/she needs |
| me | tarvitsemme | we need |
| te | tarvitsette | you (pl.) need |
| he | tarvitsevat | they need |
Tarvitsen apua, en osaa lukea tätä lomaketta.
I need help, I can't read this form.
Valitsetko sinä ruoan vai valitsenko minä?
Are you choosing the food or am I?
Nämä kasvit tarvitsevat paljon vettä kesällä.
These plants need a lot of water in summer.
Type 6: the -ene- stem (vanheta, paeta)
Type 6 verbs end in -eta/-etä and mean "become / grow more X"; their stem ends in -ene-. So vanheta → vanhene- (grow old), paeta → pakene- (flee), kylmetä → kylmene- (get cold), lämmetä → lämpene- (warm up). The third person doubles the -e- to -ee.
| Person | vanheta (grow old) | paeta (flee) |
|---|---|---|
| minä | vanhenen | pakenen |
| sinä | vanhenet | pakenet |
| hän | vanhenee | pakenee |
| me | vanhenemme | pakenemme |
| te | vanhenette | pakenette |
| he | vanhenevat | pakenevat |
paeta hides the same inverse gradation as tavata: its infinitive has lost the -k- (weak grade), but the stem pakene- restores it (strong grade). So "I flee" is pakenen, never *paenen. vanheta has no gradating consonant and stays vanhene- throughout.
Vanhenen, mutta en tunne itseäni yhtään vanhaksi.
I'm getting older, but I don't feel old at all.
Vanki pakenee vankilasta yöllä.
The prisoner escapes from the prison at night.
Illat pimenevät nopeasti syyskuun jälkeen.
The evenings get dark quickly after September.
The two types with inverse gradation
Types 4 and 6 are the classes where inverse gradation strikes: the infinitive shows the weak grade and the finite forms show the strong grade — the reverse of everything you learned in Type 1. Because the strong grade sits in the stem, it appears in every present-tense person, not just the third.
| Infinitive (weak) | Stem (strong) | minä-form |
|---|---|---|
| tavata | tapaa- | tapaan (v → p) |
| hypätä | hyppää- | hyppään (p → pp) |
| paeta | pakene- | pakenen (∅ → k) |
Hyppään järveen heti, kun tapaamme mökillä.
I'll jump in the lake the moment we meet at the cabin.
Common Mistakes
❌ Tavaan sinut asemalla kello viisi.
Incorrect — Type 4 tavata takes the strong-grade stem: tapaan.
✅ Tapaan sinut asemalla kello viisi.
I'll meet you at the station at five.
❌ Minä tarvin uuden puhelimen.
Incorrect — Type 5 keeps the -tse-: tarvitsen.
✅ Tarvitsen uuden puhelimen.
I need a new phone.
❌ Paenen kaupungista aina kesäksi.
Incorrect — paeta restores the k in the stem: pakenen.
✅ Pakenen kaupungista aina kesäksi.
I escape the city every summer.
❌ Hän haluu jäätelöä.
Incorrect — the Type 4 stem is halua-, already long; the 3sg is haluaa.
✅ Hän haluaa jäätelöä.
She wants ice cream.
Key Takeaways
- Type 4 (-ta/-tä, long-vowel stem): tavata → tapaan, tapaat, tapaa; the 3sg adds nothing. Gradating verbs take the strong stem (tapaa-, hyppää-).
- Type 5 (-ita/-itä, -tse- stem): tarvita → tarvitsen, tarvitset, tarvitsee. The -tse- is always present.
- Type 6 (-eta/-etä, -ene- stem): vanheta → vanhenen, vanhenee; paeta → pakenen with inverse gradation.
- Types 4 and 6 show inverse gradation: weak infinitive, strong finite forms — the opposite of Type 1.
Now practice Finnish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Finnish→Related Topics
- Verb Type 4: -ata/-ätä Verbs (tavata, haluta)A2 — Type 4 verbs drop -ta/-tä and add a linking -a/-ä to build a two-vowel stem: haluta → haluan, tavata → tapaan (with inverse gradation).
- Verb Type 5: -ita/-itä Verbs (tarvita)A2 — A small but high-frequency class: -ita/-itä verbs replace the ending with -itse- — tarvita → tarvitsen, valita → valitsen.
- Verb Type 6: -eta/-etä Verbs (vanheta, paeta)B1 — The rarest class: -eta/-etä verbs replace the ending with -ene- — vanheta → vanhenen, paeta → pakenen (k appears).
- Finding the Verb Stem from the InfinitiveA2 — A practical decision procedure: read the infinitive's ending, identify the verb type, and derive the present stem — with a one-glance table of all six types.