Questions & Answers about Minä kävelen ystävän kanssa.
Why is it ystävän instead of just ystävä?
The word kanssa (with) is a postposition. In Finnish, most postpositions require the word right before them to be in the genitive case. To make the genitive form of ystävä (friend), we add the ending -n, making it ystävän.
Does kanssa always come after the word it goes with?
Yes, kanssa is a postposition, which means it is placed after the word it connects to. While English uses a preposition before the noun ('with a friend'), Finnish puts it after: ystävän kanssa.
Why do both kävelen and ystävän end in -n?
They end in -n for completely different reasons! In kävelen, the -n is the verb ending for minä (I). In ystävän, the -n is the genitive case ending required by the postposition kanssa.
Can I leave out the word Minä in this sentence?
Yes, you can! Because the verb kävelen already has the -n ending, it is completely clear that 'I' am the one walking. Saying Kävelen ystävän kanssa is very common and natural in Finnish.
Learn Minä kävelen ystävän kanssa 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