Learn Hardcore Finnish: Syön hedelmiä päivittäin, ja omenat ovat suosikkejani. - I eat fruit daily, and apples are my favorites.

Finnish uses the partitive for objects when the amount is indefinite or not delimited—very common with eating and drinking. Syön hedelmiä means “I eat (some) fruit/fruits,” without specifying how many. If you said Syön hedelmät, it would mean “I eat the fruit (all of them, a known set).” Syön hedelmää (singular partitive) would mean “I eat (some) fruit” in a more mass-like sense; it’s possible, but hedelmiä is more idiomatic here because you typically eat multiple pieces or varieties of fruit over time.

How do I choose between hedelmää and hedelmiä?

hedelmää (partitive singular): “some fruit” as a mass/unspecified amount, or when you’re not thinking in countable pieces.
hedelmiä (partitive plural): “some fruits”/“fruit” as multiple items or varieties; this is the most natural in a habitual sentence like this.

Both are grammatical; hedelmiä better matches the idea of repeatedly eating multiple items.

Why is there a comma before ja?

Finnish standard punctuation usually places a comma between two main clauses. Here we have two main clauses with different subjects: the first has an implied “I” (Syön …), and the second has an explicit subject (omenat). Therefore, Syön hedelmiä päivittäin, ja omenat ovat suosikkejani takes a comma. If the subject were the same and not repeated (e.g., Syön hedelmiä päivittäin ja menen nukkumaan), you would not use a comma.

Why is it omenat and not omenoita?

As the subject of a normal equational sentence (X are Y), nouns are in the nominative: omenat. The partitive plural omenoita appears as a subject mainly in existential-type sentences like Pöydällä on omenoita (“There are apples on the table”). Here we’re not stating existence; we’re saying something about the class “apples,” so nominative omenat is correct.

Why is it ovat and not on?

Ovat is the 3rd person plural form of olla (“to be”), agreeing with the plural subject omenat. In colloquial spoken Finnish you’ll often hear plural subjects with singular on (e.g., Omenat on…), but standard written Finnish requires ovat.

What does the ending -ni in suosikkejani do?

It’s the 1st person singular possessive suffix meaning “my.” So suosikkejani = “my favorites.” You can optionally add the pronoun for emphasis: Omenat ovat (minun) suosikkejani. The possessive meaning is clear even without minun.

Why is suosikkejani in the partitive?

With olla (“to be”), a predicative noun is often in the partitive when it’s indefinite or describes membership in a category. Compare:

He ovat opettajia = “They are (some) teachers” (indefinite, partitive plural).
He ovat opettajat = “They are the teachers” (definite, nominative plural).

Similarly, Omenat ovat suosikkejani conveys “Apples are (among) my favorites,” not necessarily the entire set.

Could I say Omenat ovat suosikkini instead?

Yes. Suosikkini (with -ni) can be nominative singular “my favorite” or nominative plural “my favorites” (context decides). Using the nominative sounds more definite: “Apples are my favorite(s)” as a defined set. The partitive suosikkejani adds a nuance of “among my favorites.” Both are natural; choose based on the nuance you want.

Why not Omenat ovat suosikit?

Without -ni, suosikit just means “the favorites,” not “my favorites.” To say “my,” you need either the possessive suffix (suosikkini/suosikkejani) or a possessive pronoun: minun suosikkini/suosikkejani.

Can I say Omenat ovat suosikkiani (partitive singular)?

No. With a plural subject like omenat, the indefinite predicative should also be plural in number: suosikkejani (partitive plural). Suosikkiani is partitive singular and would mismatch the plural subject.

What’s the morphological breakdown of hedelmiä?

Base hedelmä (“fruit”) + plural marker -i- + partitive -ä → hedelmiä. The plural -i- triggers the stem to appear as hedelmi-, and vowel harmony gives -ä (not -a).

What’s the breakdown of suosikkejani?

Base suosikki (“favorite”) → plural partitive stem suosikkeja (many -i nouns take an -e- before plural endings) + possessive suffix -ni (“my”) → suosikkejani = “(some) of my favorites.”

What does päivittäin mean morphologically, and are there parallels?

Päivittäin = päivä (“day”) + the frequency suffix -ittain → “daily.” Parallels: viikoittain (“weekly”), kuukausittain (“monthly”), vuosittain (“yearly”).

Can I use joka päivä instead of päivittäin?

Yes. Syön hedelmiä joka päivä is equally natural. Päivittäin is a single adverb; joka päivä is a two-word phrase. Style-wise, päivittäin can feel a bit more formal/compact; meaning is the same.

Why is there no minä in Syön?

Finnish verbs mark the person, so the subject pronoun is usually omitted unless you want emphasis or contrast. Minä syön would mean “I eat” with emphasis on “I (as opposed to someone else).”

Does syön mean “I eat” or “I’m eating”?

Both. Finnish present tense covers simple present and present progressive. Context decides whether it’s habitual (“I eat fruit daily”) or ongoing (“I’m eating fruit right now”).

Can I move päivittäin around?

Yes. Word order is flexible for emphasis:

Syön hedelmiä päivittäin (neutral).
Päivittäin syön hedelmiä (emphasizes the frequency).
Hedelmiä syön päivittäin (emphasizes what you eat). All are correct.

Are omenat here “apples in general” or specific apples?

In Finnish, bare plurals like omenat can refer to a class generically (“apples (as a kind)”). Here it’s generic: “Apples are my favorites.” If you wanted specific apples, context would indicate that, or you might add a determiner-like phrase (e.g., ne omenat = “those apples”).

How do I negate the second clause?

Use the negative verb and ole: Omenat eivät ole suosikkejani = “Apples are not my favorites.” For the first clause: En syö hedelmiä päivittäin = “I don’t eat fruit daily.”

Any pronunciation tips for tricky letters here?

ä (in hedelmiä, päivittäin): front vowel, like the “a” in American “cat,” but more fronted.
ö (in syön): like German “ö” or French “eu” in “peu.”
y (in syön): like German “ü” or French “u.”
j (in suosikkejani): like English “y” in “yes.”
Primary stress is always on the first syllable: SYön HEdelmiä PÄIvit-täin, Omenat Ovat SuosikKeJani (secondary stresses may appear later).