Expressing "Not Having" Something
To say that someone does not have something in Finnish, you use a structure very similar to positive possession, but with two key changes:
- The verb is the negative phrase ei ole. It stays exactly the same no matter who the possessor is.
- The thing you do not have must be in the partitive case.
Just like in positive sentences, the person who lacks the item takes the adessive case (-lla/-llä).
The Partitive Object
In a positive sentence, the thing you have is usually in its basic form (nominative). However, the moment you do not have it, you must use a partitive ending (like -a, -ä, or -ta).
| Does the child have a dog? No, the child does not have a pet. | Onko lapsella koira? Ei, lapsella ei ole lemmikkiä. |
| Do you have a receipt? No, we do not have a receipt. | Onko teillä kuitti? Ei, meillä ei ole kuittia. |
| Does the boy have a driver's license? He does not have a driver's license. | Onko pojalla ajokortti? Hänellä ei ole ajokorttia. |
Anyone Can Lack Something
You can use any noun or pronoun as the possessor, as long as it has the adessive -lla/-llä ending.
| I do not have a pet. | Minulla ei ole lemmikkiä. |
| He does not have a job, because he is sick. | Hänellä ei ole työpaikkaa, koska hän on sairas. |
| We are not in a hurry today. | Meillä ei ole tänään kiirettä. |
Contrasting and Listing
You can easily combine positive and negative possession in the same sentence to contrast what you do and do not have.
| I do not have cash, but I have a credit card. | Minulla ei ole käteistä, mutta minulla on luottokortti. |
| The boy has a new bag, but he does not have a camera. | Pojalla on uusi laukku, mutta hänellä ei ole kameraa. |
If you want to list multiple things you do not have, connect them with tai (or). Every item you lack must be in the partitive case.
| I do not have a credit card or cash. | Minulla ei ole luottokorttia tai käteistä. |
