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Finnish

### Partitive Verbs

In Finnish, the object of a sentence (the thing receiving the action) changes its form depending on the context. However, a specific group of very common verbs **always** requires their object to be in the **partitive case**, regardless of the situation.

These are known as "partitive verbs." They typically describe continuous actions, emotions, or processes with no clear endpoint.

Let's start with the verb **katsoa** (to watch). Notice how the object takes a partitive ending (**-ta**).

{{item:897257}}

The verb **etsiä** (to look for) works similarly. When the object is a pronoun, it must also be in the partitive case. For example, **sinä** (you) becomes **sinua**.

{{item:897260}}

### Emotions and Interactions

Verbs that express feelings, such as **rakastaa** (to love), or ongoing assistance, like **auttaa** (to help), are also partitive verbs.

{{item:897263}}

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### Adjectives Take the Partitive Too

If you describe the object with an adjective, both the adjective and the noun must take the partitive ending.

Let's see this in action with the verb **kuunnella** (to listen to). Notice how **hyvä** (good) becomes **hyvää** to match **musiikkia**.

{{item:897271}}

Partitive verbs

adjective

adposition

adverb

conjunction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

postposition

preposition

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstrative pronouns (tämä, tuo, se)

Singular personal pronouns (minä, sinä, hän)

Plural personal pronouns (me, te, he)

Plural demonstratives (nämä, nuo, ne)

Coordinating conjunctions (ja, mutta, tai)

Yes/no questions (-ko / -kö)

Basic question words (kuka, mikä, missä)

Negation of to be (en ole, ei ole)

The inessive case (-ssa / -ssä)

Double consonant gradation (kk, pp, tt)

Consonant gradation (-ssa/-ssä)

Verb Type 1 (puhun, puhut, puhuu)

Verb Type 1 with consonant gradation

Negative verbs (en puhu, et lue)

External location (-lla/-llä)

There is / there are (kaupungissa on)

Possession (minulla on)

Numbers 1 to 10 (yksi, kaksi, kolme)

The partitive singular (-a/-ä, -ta/-tä)

Quantities with numbers (kaksi autoa)

Negative possession (ei ole)

Numbers 11 to 100 and 1000

Partitive personal pronouns (minua, sinua)

Verb Type 2 (-da/-dä)

Partitive for mass nouns (-a/-ä, -ta/-tä)

Partitive for negative objects

Adjective agreement

Verb Type 3

The elative case (-sta/-stä)

Negative possession (minulla ei ole…)

The illative case (-Vn, -hVn, -seen)

Numbers 21 to 99

Static vs. movement verbs

Verb Type 4 (-Vta / -Vtä)

Verb Type 5 (-ita / -itä)

Genitive singular for possession (-n)

Total object (-n)

Accusative personal pronouns (-t)

Obligation (täytyy)

Into places (-Vn, -hVn, -seen)

Postpositions with the genitive

My and your (-ni, -si)

Onto and to someone (-lle)

From someone or somewhere (-lta, -ltä)

Telling time (kello on...)

Months of the year (-ssa, -ssä)

Days of the week (-na, -nä)

When and why (milloin, miksi)

The illative case (mihin, -Vn, -hVn, -seen)

Past tense of to be (olin, olit, oli)

The seasons (kevät, kesä, syksy, talvi)

The imperative mood (lue!, syö!, mene!)

The past tense of to be (olin, oli)

The illative case (-hVn, -seen)

Greetings and goodbyes (hei, näkemiin)

Thank you and sorry (kiitos, anteeksi)

Liking things (pitää / tykätä + -sta/-stä)

Temporary states and roles (-na/-nä)

Change of state (-ksi)

Ongoing actions (-massa/-mässä)

Going to do an action (-maan/-mään)

Returning from an action (-masta/-mästä)

Third-person possessives (-nsa/-nsä or -Vn)

Plural possessives (-mme, -nne)

Indefinite pronouns (joku, jokin, kaikki)

Negative indefinite pronouns (ei kukaan, ei mikään)

Commands for verb types 4 and 5

Adverb formation (-sti)

Past tense for verb type 1 (-i-)

Past tense vowel changes for verb type 1 (-o- / -i-)

Past tense for verb type 2 (-i-)

Past tense for verb type 3 (-i-)

Past tense for verb type 4 (-si-)

Past tense for verb type 5 (-itsi-)

Past tense consonant gradation

Past participles for verb types 1 and 2 (-nut / -nyt)

Past participle singular for verb types 3-5 (-nnut, -llut)

Active past participle plural (-neet)

Past tense negative (en mennyt, emme olleet)

The perfect tense (olen ollut)

The perfect tense negative (en ole nähnyt)

Total plural objects (-t)

Partitive plural (-ia / -iä)

Partitive plural (-ja / -jä)

Partitive plural (-ita / -itä)

Question	Answer
to watch	katsoa
television	televisio
I am watching television.	Minä katson televisiota.
The boy is watching the old television in the room.	Poika katsoo vanhaa televisiota huoneessa.
to look for	etsiä
I am looking for you.	Minä etsin sinua.
The dog is looking for food in the park.	Koira etsii ruokaa puistossa.
to help	auttaa
The teacher is helping the student.	Opettaja auttaa opiskelijaa.
I am helping a friend.	Minä autan ystävää.
to love	rakastaa
I love you.	Minä rakastan sinua.
The woman loves the man.	Nainen rakastaa miestä.
to listen to	kuunnella
music	musiikki
We are listening to music.	Me kuuntelemme musiikkia.
They are listening to good music at home.	He kuuntelevat hyvää musiikkia kotona.
I am waiting for the bus at the stop.	Minä odotan bussia pysäkillä.
I do not understand the difficult word.	Minä en ymmärrä vaikeaa sanaa.
to hear	kuulla
I hear music.	Minä kuulen musiikkia.
Do you hear?	Kuuletko sinä?

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