Minulla on koira.

I have a dog.

Breakdown of Minulla on koira.

• minä: I
• koira: the dog

Questions & Answers about Minulla on koira.

Why does the sentence use minulla instead of minä?

In Finnish, possession is often expressed using the adessive case plus the verb on (the third-person singular form of olla, meaning to be). So instead of directly saying I have, Finnish says something like On me there is, which is why it’s Minulla on koira rather than Minä on koira.

What exactly does minulla mean?

Minulla is minä (I) in the adessive case, which literally translates as on me. This case is used for showing possession, among other things.

Why is it on and not olen?

The verb ola (to be) is conjugated in the third person singular (i.e., on) when describing what someone has in Finnish. The word olen (I am) would mean I am a dog if used in a direct translation, which is obviously not the intended meaning here.

Why is koira in the basic form rather than adding an ending?

In Finnish, the possessed item is typically in the nominative (basic) form in this construction. Since there is no need to indicate plurality (it’s just one dog) or any other case, koira remains in its uninflected form.