In English, we use the word "not" to make a sentence negative. In Finnish, "not" is actually a verb! This means that the negative word changes (conjugates) depending on who is the subject of the sentence.
The Negative Verb
To say "I do not", "you do not", or "he does not", Finnish uses different forms of the negative verb.
| Person | Pronoun | Negative Verb |
|---|
| I | minä | en |
| you | sinä | et |
| he / she / it | hän / se | ei |
| we | me | emme |
| you (plural) | te | ette |
| they | he / ne | eivät |
Negating "to be" (Olla)
When you use a negative verb, the main verb of the sentence takes a special neutral form (called the connegative form). It loses its personal endings and stays exactly the same, no matter who the subject is.
For the verb olla (to be), this unchanging form is ole.
To make a negative sentence, simply pair the correct negative verb with ole:
- Minä en ole (I am not)
- Sinä et ole (You are not)
- Hän ei ole (He/she is not)
Plural Negation
The rule is exactly the same for plural subjects. Match the negative verb to the subject (emme, ette, eivät) and follow it with the unchanging ole.
Negating "This" and Other Nouns
When talking about an object, a concept, or using a demonstrative like tämä (this), treat it as a "he/she/it" subject. You will use the third-person singular negative verb ei along with ole.