Minun suosikkini on kahvi.

My favorite is coffee.

Breakdown of Minun suosikkini on kahvi.

• olla: to be
• minun: my
• kahvi: the coffee
• suosikki: the favorite

Questions & Answers about Minun suosikkini on kahvi.

What does each word in Minun suosikkini on kahvi do?

• Minun = the genitive form of minä (“I”), used for “my” before a possessed noun.
• suosikkini = suosikki (“favorite”) + the 1st-person possessive suffix -ni (“my”) → “my favorite.”
• on = “is” (3rd person singular of olla, “to be”).
• kahvi = “coffee,” in the basic (nominative) form.

Together: “My favorite is coffee.”

Why does the sentence seem to say “my” twice (both Minun and -ni)?

Finnish can mark possession in two ways: a genitive possessor (Minun) and a possessive suffix on the noun (-ni). In careful/standard style, having both is common and completely correct: Minun suosikkini. You can also:

• Drop the pronoun and keep the suffix: Suosikkini on kahvi (very standard in writing).
• In colloquial speech, drop the suffix and keep the pronoun: Mun suosikki on kahvi (informal).

Is Minun suosikki on kahvi correct?

It’s very common in speech (usually as Mun suosikki on kahvi), but in formal writing it’s better to use the possessive suffix: Suosikkini on kahvi or Minun suosikkini on kahvi.

Why is it on and not olen?

The verb agrees with the subject, which is suosikkini (“my favorite”), a third-person singular noun. So you need on (“is”). Olen (“I am”) would mean “I am coffee” if you tried to use it here.

Why is kahvi in the nominative (not kahvia)?

This is an equational sentence (“X is Y”), and the predicative (Y) is nominative: suosikkini on kahvi. The partitive (kahvia) would suggest an existential/quantity meaning like “there is some coffee,” not “is” in the sense of identity.

Why is Minun in the genitive case?

Finnish typically puts the possessor in the genitive before the possessed noun: minun, sinun, hänen, etc. Hence Minun suosikkini = “my favorite.”

Can I change the word order?

Yes, Finnish word order is flexible and used for emphasis:

• Minun suosikkini on kahvi (neutral; topic = “my favorite”).
• Kahvi on minun suosikkini (emphasizes “coffee”).
• Kahvi on suosikkini (very natural). Context determines which sounds most idiomatic.

How do I ask “What’s your favorite?” in Finnish?

• Standard: Mikä on suosikkisi? or Mikä on sinun suosikkisi?
• Informal: Mikä on sun lemppari? or Mikä sun lemppari on?

How do I say “My favorites are coffee and tea”?

Use plural verb agreement:

• Minun suosikkini ovat kahvi ja tee. You can also omit the pronoun in writing:
• Suosikkini ovat kahvi ja tee.

Is suosikkini singular or plural?

With the possessive suffix, nominative -ni can be ambiguous. Context and verb agreement disambiguate:

• Singular: Minun suosikkini on kahvi.
• Plural: Minun suosikkini ovat kahvi ja tee. To be explicit about “one of my favorites,” say: Yksi suosikeistani on kahvi.

Are there more colloquial or alternative ways to say this?

Yes:

• Colloquial: Mun lemppari on kahvi.
• Standard alternatives: Lempijuomani on kahvi. / Kahvi on lempijuomani.
• Also fine: Kahvi on suosikkini. Suosikki is neutral/standard; lemppari is colloquial; the compound lempi- is common in standard compounds (e.g., lempijuoma, “favorite drink”).

How would I say “Coffee is my favorite drink”?

• Kahvi on lempijuomani.
• Kahvi on suosikkijuomani. (Head noun gets the suffix: -ni attaches to -juoma / -juoma-.)

How do I negate it: “My favorite is not coffee”?

• Minun suosikkini ei ole kahvi. (Verb negation: ei ole; everything else stays nominative in this equational structure.)

How do I pronounce suosikkini?

• Stress the first syllable: SUO-sik-ki-ni.
• uo is a diphthong like “uo” in one glide.
• Double kk is a long consonant; hold it slightly longer than a single k.