When talking about multiple objects or animals, you will need to use plural demonstratives, plural nouns, and the plural verb form ovat (are).
Forming the Plural
In Finnish, forming the basic plural (the nominative plural) is quite straightforward: you simply add -t to the end of the word.
Crucially, this ending attaches to both the noun and any adjectives describing it.
- koira (dog) -> koirat (dogs)
- iso (big) -> isot (big)
- iso koira (a big dog) -> isot koirat (big dogs)
Plural Demonstratives
Just as "this" becomes "these" in English, Finnish demonstratives change when pointing to multiple things.
| Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tämä | nämä | these |
| tuo | nuo | those (over there) |
| se | ne | they / those (objects or animals) |
Note: While he is used for "they" when talking about people, ne is the word for "they" when talking about animals and inanimate objects.
Because these refer to multiple things, they always pair with the 3rd person plural verb ovat (are).
Pointing Things Out
Now you can combine these pieces to point out where things are. Notice how the plural markers (-t) appear on all the describing words and nouns!
| These dogs are here. | Nämä koirat ovat täällä. |
| Those cats are there. | Nuo kissat ovat tuolla. |
| Those big houses are there. | Ne isot talot ovat siellä. |
You can also ask questions using missä (where).
| Where are they now? | Missä ne ovat nyt? |
| Where are those new chairs? | Missä nuo uudet tuolit ovat? |
You can even mix singular and plural in the same sentence to contrast different things:
| This dog is here, and those cats are there. | Tämä koira on täällä, ja nuo kissat ovat tuolla. |