Minä unohdan kirjan.

I

Breakdown of Minä unohdan kirjan.

• kirja: the book
• unohtaa: to forget

Questions & Answers about Minä unohdan kirjan.

Why is there no word for the or a in this sentence?

Finnish does not have articles like English a/an and the.

So kirjan can mean a book or the book, depending on context. English has to choose one, but Finnish usually leaves that to the situation.

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What does minä mean, and do I have to include it?

Minä means I.

You do not always have to include it, because the verb form unohdan already shows that the subject is I. In everyday Finnish, Unohdan kirjan is often more natural than Minä unohdan kirjan.

Including minä can add emphasis, for example:

• Minä unohdan kirjan, en sinä. = I’m the one who forgets the book, not you.

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What does the -n at the end of unohdan mean?

The -n marks first person singular in the present tense, so it means I.

• unohdan = I forget
• unohdat = you forget
• unohtaa = he/she forgets

So the ending itself tells you who is doing the action.

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