The Partitive Plural (-ia / -iä)
Use the partitive plural to express an indefinite amount of countable items (like "some fruits"). You also use it after quantity words like paljon (a lot of) or in negative sentences.
For many words, form the partitive plural by adding the plural marker -i- and the partitive ending -a or -ä (based on vowel harmony) to the stem.
| There is a lot of fruit over there. | Tuolla on paljon hedelmiä. |
| There are no eggs in the fridge. | Jääkaapissa ei ole munia. |
Nouns Ending in -s
For nouns ending in -s, like vihannes (vegetable), the -s changes to -kse- before adding the partitive plural suffix. This creates the ending -ksia or -ksiä.
| Why are you looking for vegetables? | Miksi sinä etsit vihanneksia? |
| We took vegetables and raspberries. | Me otimme vihanneksia ja vadelmia. |
Adjective Agreement
When you describe a partitive plural noun, the adjective must agree and take a partitive plural ending as well.
| The children are eating red raspberries. | Lapset syövät punaisia vadelmia. |
| Small mushrooms grow here. | Täällä kasvaa pieniä sieniä. |
| The cook bakes delicious pastries. | Kokki leipoo herkullisia leivoksia. |
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