Verb Type 1
In Finnish, verbs are grouped into different types based on their dictionary endings. The most common group is Verb Type 1. The dictionary form of these verbs always ends in two vowels (such as -ua, -aa, -ea, or -oa).
To conjugate a Type 1 verb in the present tense, simply drop the final -a or -ä to find the verb's stem. Then, add the personal ending.
For example, with the verb puhua (to speak), dropping the final -a gives us the stem puhu-:
| Pronoun | Ending | Example | Meaning |
|---|
| minä | -n | puhun | I speak |
| sinä | -t | puhut | you speak |
| hän / se | double the vowel | puhuu | he/she/it speaks |
| me | -mme | puhumme | we speak |
| te | -tte | puhutte | you (pl.) speak |
| he / ne | -vat / -vät | puhuvat | they speak |
Notice that for the hän (he/she) and se (it) forms, there is no consonant ending. Instead, you just double the last vowel of the stem.
More Type 1 Verbs
This exact same pattern applies to other standard verbs, such as sanoa (to say), maksaa (to cost), and seisoa (to stand).
To ask a yes/no question, conjugate the verb normally, move it to the beginning of the sentence, and attach the question suffix -ko or -kö (depending on vowel harmony).
Let's see a few more examples focusing on the plural endings (-mme, -tte, -vat / -vät) using the verbs laulaa (to sing) and nauraa (to laugh).