Learn Finnish: Me marssimme eilen mielenosoituksessa monen ystävän kanssa. - We marched in the demonstration yesterday with many friends.

The word moni (many) often uses singular endings to express a plural idea, similar to the English phrase 'many a friend'. The postposition kanssa (with) requires the word before it to be in the genitive case. Therefore, both moni and ystävä take the singular genitive ending -n, giving us monen ystävän.

Is it also correct to use the plural form, monien ystävien kanssa?

Yes, it is! Both the singular monen ystävän kanssa and the plural monien ystävien kanssa are correct and mean the same thing. However, Finnish speakers frequently prefer the singular forms of moni because they are shorter and easier to say.

The word for 'demonstration' is mielenosoitus. How does it become mielenosoituksessa?

Words ending in -us or -ys usually change the final -s to -kse- before you add a case ending. The base is mielenosoitus (literally 'mind-showing'), which changes to the stem mielenosoitukse-. Then you add the -ssa ending to mean 'in the demonstration'.

Does the verb marssimme (we marched) look exactly the same in the present tense?