Questions & Answers about Sitten minä annan lahjan.
Why does the word for gift have an -n at the end (lahjan instead of lahja)?
This is the genitive-accusative object you are learning in this lesson. Because you are giving the whole gift (a total, completed action) and the sentence is a positive statement, the object takes the -n ending.
The English translation says "I will give", but isn't annan just the present tense?
Yes! Finnish does not have a separate future tense. You often use the present tense verb along with a complete-action object (like lahjan) to show that an action will be fully completed in the future.
The dictionary form of the verb "to give" is antaa. Where did the "t" go in annan?
This happens because of consonant gradation. When you add the personal ending -n for "I", the strong nt in antaa softens into the weak nn in annan.
Could I drop the word minä and just say Sitten annan lahjan?
Absolutely. Because the verb ending -n in annan already tells us that "I" am doing the action, the pronoun minä is optional. Keeping it just adds a little emphasis.
Learn Sitten minä annan lahjan and more in Finnish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free