Minä näen hänet puistossa.

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Breakdown of Minä näen hänet puistossa.

• puisto: the park
• -ssa: in
• nähdä: to see

Questions & Answers about Minä näen hänet puistossa.

Why is hänet used instead of hän?

Hän is the nominative case (used for subjects), whereas hänet is the accusative case (used for direct objects). Since “him/her” is what is being seen, it must be in the accusative: hänet.

What does the -ssa ending in puistossa mean?

The -ssa ending is the inessive case, which indicates being in something. So puistossa literally means “in the park.”

Why include Minä if näen already means “I see”?

Finnish verbs are conjugated to show person. Näen by itself already means “I see.” Adding Minä is optional and serves to add emphasis or clarity, especially in spoken language.

Why are there no words for “a” or “the” in the sentence?

Finnish does not have articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is conveyed by context rather than separate words like “a” or “the.”

How do you say “I see him” versus “I see her” in Finnish?