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Questions & Answers about Missä ne ovat?
What is the function of Missä in this sentence?
Missä is the interrogative adverb “where.” It’s in the inessive case (–ssa/ssä), which in Finnish indicates a static location (“in what place”).
Why is the pronoun ne used here instead of he?
Ne is the third-person plural pronoun for non-human or inanimate things (“they” for objects). He is the third-person plural pronoun used for people.
Why is the verb ovat used rather than on?
On is the third-person singular form of olla (“to be”). For “they,” Finnish requires the third-person plural form ovat (“they are”).
Can we omit the pronoun ne and just say Missä ovat?
Yes—Finnish is a pro-drop language, so you can technically say Missä ovat? However, dropping ne may sound abrupt or leave the subject unclear unless the context already makes it obvious.
What about word order? Could I say Ne ovat missä? or Missä ovat ne?
Finnish word order is quite flexible, but the neutral, unmarked order is Missä ne ovat?
- Ne ovat missä? shifts the focus to the location and sounds more informal.
- Missä ovat ne? is grammatically correct but uncommon; it emphasizes ne.
How do you pronounce the ä in Missä?
The letter ä is pronounced like the “a” in the English word cat. So Missä is roughly MIS-sah, with equal stress on each syllable.
What’s the difference between missä and mihin?
- Missä asks about a static location (“where” → “in what place,” inessive case).
- Mihin asks about movement toward somewhere (“to where,” illative case).
Is Missä ne ovat? appropriate when talking about people?
Standard Finnish uses Missä he ovat? for people, because he is the pronoun for “they” (people). That said, in colloquial speech some Finns still use ne for people, but it’s considered non-standard or dialectal.
Why do I sometimes hear Missä ne on? instead of Missä ne ovat?
In casual spoken Finnish, many speakers simplify all forms of olla to on (“Missä ne on?”). This is widespread in speech and even some informal writing, but in formal or written Finnish you should use ovat for the plural subject.