Each other (toisiaan)

Each other (toisiaan)

To say "each other" in Finnish, use the plural forms of the pronoun toinen, followed by a possessive suffix that matches the subject (we, you, or they).

each other (also toisiamme, toisianne)
toisiaan

Partitive Forms

Many verbs require their object to be in the partitive case. When people look at, miss, or hug each other, the base plural partitive form is toisia-, to which we add the possessive suffix:

  • We: toisiamme (-mme)
  • You (plural): toisianne (-nne)
  • They: toisiaan (-an)
The class reunion begins, and we look at each other.
Luokkakokous alkaa, ja katsomme toisiamme.
Have you missed each other a lot?
Oletteko ikävöineet toisianne paljon?
At the class reunion, the men just shake each other's hands.
Luokkakokouksessa miehet vain kättelevät toisiaan.

Other Cases

The pronoun toinen inflects in all standard cases depending on what the verb demands. The possessive suffix is always added to the very end of the word, after the case ending.

For example, the verb kertoa (to tell) directs information to someone using the allative case. The base becomes toisille-:

We tell each other about old memories.
Kerromme toisillemme vanhoista muistoista.

Similarly, the verb pitää (to like) requires the elative case. The base becomes toisista-:

They like each other and share new memories.
He pitävät toisistaan ja jakavat uusia muistoja.

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