Verb Type 2 (-da/-dä)
Finnish verbs are grouped into "verb types" based on their infinitive endings. Verb Type 2 verbs end in -da or -dä, which are always preceded by a long vowel or a diphthong (two different vowels together).
To conjugate a Type 2 verb, drop the -da or -dä to find the verb stem, then attach the regular personal endings.
Crucially, in the third-person singular (hän / se), you do not add any ending. Because the stem already ends in two vowels, Finnish does not double the final vowel like it does in Verb Type 1.
| Pronoun | Ending | syödä (stem: syö-) | juoda (stem: juo-) |
|---|
| minä | -n | syön | juon |
| sinä | -t | syöt | juot |
| hän / se | (none) | syö | juo |
| me | -mme | syömme | juomme |
| te | -tte | syötte | juotte |
| he / ne | -vat / -vät | syövät | juovat |
As with other verbs, you can form a question by adding the suffix -ko or -kö to the fully conjugated verb.
The Negative Present Tense
Making a Type 2 verb negative is extremely simple. Conjugate the negative verb (en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät) and pair it with the bare verb stem (the verb without its -da or -dä ending).
More Type 2 Verbs
Here are a few more common Type 2 verbs in action. Notice how they follow the exact same affirmative and negative rules.