Breakdown of Se on mun uusi kämppis.
olla
to be
se
it / he / she (of a person) / that
minä
I
uusi
new
kämppis
roommate
Questions & Answers about Se on mun uusi kämppis.
Wait, doesn't se mean "it"? Why does the translation say "he"?
In written standard Finnish, se means "it" and hän means "he" or "she". However, in everyday spoken Finnish (puhekieli), people almost always use se to refer to other people. So in this context, se naturally translates to "he" (or "she").
Since se is a spoken-language replacement for hän, does it change how the verb on is conjugated?
No, both se and hän take the exact same third-person singular verb. Whether you write hän on in formal text or say se on in conversation, the verb form stays exactly the same.
Where does the word kämppis come from?
It is a very common spoken-language word for "roommate". It comes from kämppä (a colloquial word for an apartment or pad) combined with the -is suffix, which is often used to create slang words in Finnish (like kirppis for flea market). A more formal equivalent would be kämppäkaveri or huonetoveri.
I see mun here instead of minun. Do I always have to use it with spoken-language words?
Mun is the spoken version of minun (my). Because this whole sentence is casual (using se for a person and the slang word kämppis), using mun fits the tone perfectly. In Finnish, it is best to keep your "register" consistent, meaning you generally shouldn't mix formal and informal words by saying se on minun kämppis.
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