The Perfect Tense
The perfect tense describes life experiences or past events that affect the present (the English "have/has done" tense).
To form the perfect tense, combine the present tense of olla (to be) with the past participle of the main verb. Notice that Finnish uses "to be" instead of "to have" as the auxiliary verb.
As with the negative past tense, the participle must agree with the subject's number. Singular subjects take a singular ending (like -nut / -nyt or -lut / -lyt), while plural subjects take a plural ending (like -neet or -leet).
| Pronoun | Auxiliary (olla) | Participle (kokea) | Participle (tulla) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minä | olen | kokenut | tullut |
| Sinä | olet | kokenut | tullut |
| Hän / Se | on | kokenut | tullut |
| Me | olemme | kokeneet | tulleet |
| Te | olette | kokeneet | tulleet |
| He | ovat | kokeneet | tulleet |
| I have experienced a lot in life. | Minä olen kokenut paljon elämässä. |
| That sailor has seen the whole world. | Tuo merimies on nähnyt koko maailman. |
Plural Subjects
For plural subjects, use both the plural form of olla and the plural past participle.
| We have traveled in Asia and Africa. | Me olemme matkustaneet Aasiassa ja Afrikassa. |
| They have come from Africa to America. | He ovat tulleet Afrikasta Amerikkaan. |
Perfect Tense Questions
To ask yes/no questions in the perfect tense, attach the question particle -ko / -kö to the conjugated auxiliary verb and place it at the beginning of the sentence:
- olet
- ko = oletko (have you?)
- olette
- ko = oletteko (have you all?)
| Have you crossed the ocean? | Oletko sinä ylittänyt valtameren? |
| Have you lived in Asia? | Oletteko te asuneet Aasiassa? |
If you are using a question word like kuka (who), the question word comes first, followed by the normal perfect tense structure.
| Who has explored this continent? | Kuka on tutkinut tätä mannerta? |
