The Finnish past tense (often called the imperfect) is used to talk about completed past actions.
To build the past tense, find the verb's inflectional stem (by dropping the -n from the present tense minä form) and add the past marker -i-.
For Type 1 verbs ending in o, ö, u, or y, attach the -i- directly. If the stem ends in e, the e drops out and is replaced by -i-.
| Person | Stem | Marker | Ending | Past Tense | Meaning |
|---|
| minä | kastu- | -i- | -n | kastuin | I got wet |
| sinä | pysy- | -i- | -t | pysyit | you stayed |
| hän | saapu- | -i- | (none) | saapui | he/she arrived |
Notice that the 3rd-person singular does not take a personal ending in the past tense. Instead of the double vowel used in the present tense (saapuu), it ends with the -i marker (saapui).
Consonant Gradation
Consonant gradation works exactly the same in the past tense as in the present. Endings that close a syllable (like -n, -t, and -mme) trigger the weak grade. The 3rd-person forms keep the strong grade.
Watch how the t in kaatua (to fall down) weakens to d for the minä form, but stays strong for the 3rd person (poika).
Here are more examples of the past marker paired with different personal endings:
Mixing Tenses
You will often use the past tense to recount an event, alongside the present tense to describe the resulting state (how things are right now).