Learn Hardcore Finnish: Teen uuden profiilin someen, jotta voin viestiä kavereiden kanssa suomeksi. - I make a new profile on social media so that I can message with friends in Finnish.

Teen = I make / I am making
- -n at the end of the verb tells you it’s 1st person singular (I).
So Minä teen uuden profiilin is correct, but Teen uuden profiilin is more natural in everyday Finnish, unless you want to emphasize I.

What exactly does “Teen uuden profiilin” mean grammatically? Why uuden profiilin and not uusi profiili?

Teen = I make / I create
uuden profiilin is the object of the verb.

Breaking it down:

uusi = new (basic form)
uuden = genitive/accusative singular of uusi
profiili = profile (basic form)
profiilin = genitive singular of profiili

For a complete, countable object in the singular, Finnish normally uses the genitive form, not the basic form:

Teen uuden profiilin. = I create a (whole) new profile.
Saying Teen uusi profiili is incorrect.

Because uusi is an adjective modifying profiili, it has to match the noun’s case and number:

uuden profiilin – both in genitive singular.

What case is “profiilin”, and why is it used here?

Profiilin is in the genitive singular form, but here it functions as a total object (often called genitive object).

A total object is used when:
- The action is seen as complete, and
- The object is a whole, countable thing.

You’re creating one whole profile, so the verb tehdä (to do/make) takes a total object:

Teen profiilin. = I (will) make / am making a (whole) profile.

If it were an ongoing or incomplete action, you might use partitive (e.g. if the context were different), but here the natural form is the total object, so profiilin.

What does “someen” literally mean, and what case is it?

Some is a colloquial short form of sosiaalinen media (social media).

some (spoken word for “social media”)
someen = into/to social media → illative case (movement into something)

Illative often ends in -Vn (vowel + n):

talo → taloon (into the house)
kauppa → kauppaan (to the shop)
some → someen (onto/into social media)

So Teen uuden profiilin someen = I’m making a new profile *into social media / on social media*.

What is the difference between “someen” and “somessa”?

Both are from some (social media), but different cases:

someen = illative → movement into social media
- Teen profiilin someen. = I’m creating a profile onto/into social media.
somessa = inessive → being in social media
- Minulla on profiili somessa. = I have a profile on social media.

So:

When you go / put / create something into social media → someen
When something already is in social media → somessa

Is “some” formal Finnish, or is it slang?

Some is colloquial / informal, but very common, especially in speech and casual writing (social media, messages, blogs).

More formal options:

sosiaalisessa mediassa = in social media
sosiaaliseen mediaan = into social media

So:

Informal: Teen uuden profiilin someen.
More formal: Teen uuden profiilin sosiaaliseen mediaan.

Both are correct, but some is more relaxed and spoken-style.

What does “jotta” mean, and how is it different from “että”?

jotta is a conjunction meaning roughly “so that / in order that”, introducing a purpose or goal.

In the sentence:

Teen uuden profiilin someen, jotta voin viestiä kavereiden kanssa suomeksi.
= I’m creating a new profile on social media *so that I can message with friends in Finnish.*

että often means simply “that” (for reported statements or explanations), but it can also be used in similar structures:

Teen uuden profiilin someen, että voin viestiä…

This is understood, but jotta is more clearly purposive: it strongly emphasizes the goal of the action.

Very rough nuance:

että = that
jotta = so that / in order that

In writing, jotta usually sounds a bit more careful or standard, and clearly expresses purpose.

What form is “viestiä” in “jotta voin viestiä”, and why is it used?

Viestiä here is the 1st infinitive (basic dictionary form: to message / to communicate).

In Finnish, modal / auxiliary verbs like voida (can / be able to) are followed by the 1st infinitive:

voin viestiä = I can message
haluan viestiä = I want to message
yritän viestiä = I try to message

So:

voin = I can / I’m able to
viestiä = (to) message / communicate

Together: voin viestiä = I can message.

You could also use other verbs:

jotta voin lähettää viestejä = so that I can send messages
jotta voin jutella kavereiden kanssa = so that I can chat with friends

But viestiä is a neat general verb meaning to communicate / to message.

Why is it “kavereiden kanssa” and not “kaverit kanssa”?

Because kanssa (“with”) is a postposition that requires the genitive case before it.

kaveri = friend
kaverit = friends (nominative plural)
kavereiden = friends’ (genitive plural)

Structure:

genitive plural + kanssa → with the Xs

So:

kavereiden kanssa = with (my/the) friends
lasten kanssa = with the children
opettajan kanssa = with the teacher

Kaverit kanssa is incorrect; it must be kavereiden kanssa.

Is “kavereiden” the only correct form, or can I say “kavereitten” or “kaverien”?

For kaveri (friend), the common plural genitives are:

kavereiden
kavereitten

Both are widely accepted and natural. Kaverien also exists but is less common in everyday speech.

So you can say:

kavereiden kanssa
kavereitten kanssa

In standard language teaching, you’ll most often see kavereiden.

What does “suomeksi” mean exactly, and what case is that?

Suomeksi is the translative case (-ksi) of suomi (Finnish language).

suomi = Finnish (language)
suomeksi = in Finnish / into Finnish (as a language)

Translative -ksi often expresses a change, role, or manner:

maalata seinä punaiseksi = to paint the wall red (into red)
valita minut puheenjohtajaksi = choose me as chairperson
puhua suomeksi = to speak in Finnish

So suomeksi here means:

in Finnish (language-wise), i.e. using Finnish instead of some other language.

Comparisons:

puhua suomea = to speak Finnish (general ability or activity)
puhua suomeksi = to speak in Finnish (as the language used in a specific situation)

Could I say this sentence in a different word order, like “Teen someen uuden profiilin”?

Yes. Finnish word order is relatively flexible, and both are correct:

Teen uuden profiilin someen, jotta voin viestiä kavereiden kanssa suomeksi.
Teen someen uuden profiilin, jotta voin viestiä kavereiden kanssa suomeksi.

The first is more neutral; the second puts a bit more emphasis on where you’re making the profile (on social media). But both are natural and mean the same thing.

In general, Finnish uses word order to highlight focus rather than to encode basic grammar (cases do that job).

How would I say “a new profile to social media so that I can message with my friends in Finnish” as a more literal breakdown?

Piece by piece:

Teen = I make / I create
uuden profiilin = a new profile (total object, genitive form)
someen = into social media (illative case)
jotta = so that / in order that
voin = I can / I am able to
viestiä = (to) message / communicate
kavereiden kanssa = with (my) friends (genitive + kanssa)
suomeksi = in Finnish (language, translative)

So the whole sentence literally functions as:

I-make new-profile into-social-media so-that I-can message friends’ with in-Finnish.