Verb Type 2 verbs end in -da or -dä. When you remove this ending to find the stem, you are often left with a two-vowel combination (a diphthong) like uo, ie, or yö.
To form the past tense (imperfect) for these verbs, drop the first vowel of the diphthong, add the past tense marker -i-, and attach your personal ending.
Take the verb tuoda (to bring):
- Present stem: tuo-
- Drop the first vowel (u): to-
- Add the past marker (-i-) and personal ending (-n): toin (I brought)
| I brought a new pot. | Minä toin uuden kattilan. |
| They brought a new oven here. | He toivat uuden uunin tänne. |
Here are more Type 2 verbs that follow this rule:
- juoda (to drink) → jo- → join (I drank)
- viedä (to take) → ve- → veimme (we took)
- syödä (to eat) → sö- → söin (I ate)
| You drank old milk by accident. | Sinä joit vanhaa maitoa vahingossa. |
| We took the black pot outside. | Me veimme mustan kattilan ulos. |
| I ate terrible fish yesterday. | Minä söin kauheaa kalaa eilen. |
| I drank water because the soup had too much salt. | Minä join vettä, koska keitossa oli liikaa suolaa. |
Describing Kitchen Mishaps
When recounting a cooking disaster, you will also need the Type 1 verb palaa (to burn). Because it ends in -aa, the final -a changes to -o- before the past tense marker.
| Did the food burn? | Paloiko ruoka? |
| The meat burned in the oven. | Liha paloi uunissa. |
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