Learn Hardcore Finnish: Minä mietin asiaa ennen kokousta. - I think about the matter before the meeting.

In Finnish, verbs carry person and number endings, so mietin already tells you “I think/consider.” Including Minä (I) is therefore optional. Here it’s used for emphasis or clarity. You could just say Mietin asiaa ennen kokousta and the meaning stays the same.

What does the verb form mietin mean and how is it formed?

Mietin is the first person singular present tense of miettiä (to ponder, consider). The stem is mieti-, and the ending -n marks “I” in present tense.

Why is the object asiaa in the partitive case instead of the nominative asia?

Many Finnish verbs—including miettiä—take a partitive object when the action is incomplete or ongoing. Using the partitive asiaa (partitive singular of asia, “matter”) signals that you’re considering the matter rather than having completed it.

There’s no word for “about” like in English. How does Finnish express “think about”?

Finnish doesn’t need a separate preposition for “about” in this context. The verb + partitive construction covers it. So instead of “think about the matter,” you say mietin asiaa (“I ponder the matter”), with asiaa in partitive.

What is ennen and why is kokousta in the partitive case?

Ennen is a preposition meaning “before.” It governs the partitive case when followed by a noun, so kokous (meeting) becomes kokousta (partitive singular). Thus ennen kokousta = “before the meeting.”

Could you drop Minä and still say the sentence correctly?

Yes. Omitting Minä is perfectly natural because mietin already indicates the subject. Mietin asiaa ennen kokousta is a shorter, equally correct version.

Why is the phrase ennen kokousta placed at the end, and can you move it?

Finnish has flexible word order. Ennen kokousta is a time adverbial and can appear at the beginning or end without changing the core meaning. You could also say Ennen kokousta mietin asiaa or Mietin ennen kokousta asiaa for slight shifts in emphasis.

What’s the difference between mietin and a form like miettelen?

Mietin is simple present “I ponder/consider” (often once or as a fact). Miettelen adds a nuance of ongoing or repeated action (“I’m pondering” or “I keep thinking”). Both are first-person singular, but -elen gives a more continuous feel.

If I want to say “I will think about the matter before the meeting,” do I change anything?

No special future tense is needed. Finnish uses the present tense for future actions too. Mietin asiaa ennen kokousta can mean “I will think about it before the meeting.” If you want to be extra explicit, you could say Tulen miettimään asiaa ennen kokousta (“I will come to think about the matter before the meeting”).