To form the past tense (imperfect), add the marker -i- to the verb's stem. For Type 1 verbs ending in -a or -ä, the final vowel mutates or drops to accommodate the -i-.
Dropping -a and -ä
The final vowel drops entirely if:
- The verb ends in -ä (e.g., näyttää → näytti)
- The verb ends in -a and the first vowel is o or u (e.g., ostaa → osti)
- The verb has three or more syllables (e.g., kirjoittaa → kirjoitti)
| I bought a beautiful souvenir from Estonia. | Ostin kauniin matkamuiston Virosta. |
| My girlfriend wrote three postcards. | Tyttöystäväni kirjoitti kolme postikorttia. |
Consonant gradation still applies in the past tense! For example, the strong tt in ottaa weakens to t in otimme because the -mme ending closes the syllable.
| We took a photograph in the museum. | Otimme valokuvan museossa. |
Changing -a to -o-
If a two-syllable verb ends in -a and its first vowel is a, e, or i (like antaa, kantaa, or maksaa), the final -a changes to -o- before the -i-.
| This local handicraft cost twenty euros. | Tämä paikallinen käsityö maksoi kaksikymmentä euroa. |
| Father gave me a beautiful piece of jewelry. | Isä antoi minulle kauniin korun. |
Consonant gradation applies here as well, such as the strong ht in vaihtaa weakening to hd in vaihdoimme.
| My boyfriend exchanged money and carried my bag. | Poikaystäväni vaihtoi rahaa ja kantoi laukkuni. |
| We exchanged a hundred euros in the bank. | Vaihdoimme sata euroa pankissa. |
These verbs are incredibly common when describing travel experiences, meaning you will often see both patterns used side-by-side.
| The tourist took a photograph and the guide gave a map. | Turisti otti valokuvan ja opas antoi kartan. |
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