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Questions & Answers about Korvani on kylmä.
Why is there no separate word for "my" in this sentence?
In standard Finnish, possession is shown by adding a suffix to the end of the noun. Here, the suffix -ni means "my". It attaches directly to the basic word korva (ear) to make korvani (my ear).
Can I add the word minun (my) to the beginning of the sentence?
Yes, you can say Minun korvani on kylmä. However, in standard written Finnish, the word minun is optional because the -ni suffix already tells us whose ear it is. Adding minun just adds extra emphasis, like saying "My ear is cold."
If I want to say "My ears are cold" instead of just one, does the word korvani change?
Surprisingly, no! The basic plural for ear is korvat. But when you add a possessive suffix to a basic plural word, the plural -t drops away. So "my ears" is also written as korvani. You would only know it means two ears by the rest of the sentence changing to plural: Korvani ovat kylmät (My ears are cold).