Word
Minulla on muutama kirja kotona.
Meaning
I have a few books at home.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
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Questions & Answers about Minulla on muutama kirja kotona.
Why do we use Minulla on to express possession instead of a verb like “to have”?
In Finnish you don’t use a separate verb for “to have.” Instead you put the possessor in the adessive case (ending -lla/-llä) and use the verb olla (“to be”). So Minulla on literally means “There is … on me,” i.e. “I have ….”
What case is minulla in and why is that case used here?
Minulla is minä (“I”) in the adessive case. The adessive marks the experiencer of possession: whoever “has” something stands in the adessive, and the thing possessed follows in whatever case makes sense (here nominative).
Why is kirja in the singular after muutama? Shouldn’t “few books” be plural?
Muutama (“a few”) is a quantifier that always takes a singular noun in the nominative. Even though it means “a few books,” you say muutama kirja, not kirjat or kirjoja.
If I want to say “I have some books at home” with partitive plural, how would I do that?
You can say Minulla on kirjoja kotona. Here kirjoja is the partitive plural of kirja and means “some books” rather than the more specific “a few books.”
What case is kotona, and why do we use that form for “at home”?
Kotona is the adessive case of koti (“home”). The adessive (-lla/-llä) can express location (“at,” “on”). So kotona means “at home.”
Why do both minulla and kotona end in -lla? Do they have the same function?
Yes—both are the adessive case. Minulla uses the adessive to mark the possessor (“on me”), while kotona uses it to mark location (“at home”). Finnish cases often have more than one role.
Could I drop minulla and just say On muutama kirja kotona?
Technically yes, you’d get “There are a few books at home,” but it’s vague about whose home. Finns usually mention the possessor: Minulla on… makes it clear you’re talking about your own books.
Is the word order flexible? Can I say Kotona minulla on muutama kirja?
Absolutely—Finnish has quite free word order. Kotona minulla on muutama kirja simply shifts the emphasis to the location (at home). All of these are correct, just slightly different in focus.
What’s the difference between muutama and pari when counting books?
Muutama means “a few” (usually 3–5) and takes a singular noun: muutama kirja. Pari literally means “pair” (2) but colloquially “a couple.” It takes the partitive singular: pari kirjaa.