Log inSign up

Keräämme metsästä marjoja, esimerkiksi mustikoita ja mansikoita.

Keräämme metsästä marjoja, esimerkiksi mustikoita ja mansikoita.
We pick berries in the forest, for example blueberries and strawberries.
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Finnish grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Finnish now

Questions & Answers about Keräämme metsästä marjoja, esimerkiksi mustikoita ja mansikoita.

What does keräämme mean exactly, and why is there no separate word for “we”?

Keräämme is the verb kerätä (to collect/pick/gather) conjugated in 1st person plural, present tense:

  • kerää– = verb stem
  • –mme = ending for “we” (1st person plural)

So keräämme literally means “we collect / we are collecting / we will collect” depending on context.

In Finnish, subject pronouns (me = we) are often dropped, because the person is already shown by the verb ending.

  • Me keräämme metsästä marjoja. = We collect berries from the forest.
  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja. = Same meaning; me is just omitted as unnecessary.

Both versions are correct; dropping me is very normal and sounds natural.

Why is it keräämme and not kerätään or keräämme marjoja metsästä in a different order?
  • keräämme = we collect (1st person plural, “we do it”).
  • kerätään = one collects / people collect / it is collected (impersonal/passive).

So keräämme emphasizes that we are doing the action ourselves.

As for word order:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja.
  • Keräämme marjoja metsästä.

Both are grammatically correct. Finnish word order is flexible. The most neutral version here is probably:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja.

Putting metsästä first gives a bit more focus to the place:

  • Metsästä keräämme marjoja. = From the forest, we collect berries (emphasis on “from the forest”).
Why is it metsästä and not metsässä or metsään? What does the ending -stä mean?

Metsästä is the noun metsä (forest) in the elative case (ending -sta / -stä), which generally means “from inside something / out of something”.

  • metsä = forest (basic form)
  • metsässä (-ssä) = in the forest (inessive case)
  • metsään (-än) = into the forest (illative case)
  • metsästä (-stä) = from (out of) the forest (elative case)

In this sentence, you are taking berries from the forest, so metsästä is the logical choice.

If you said:

  • Keräämme metsässä marjoja.
    = We collect berries in the forest (location, where you are).

The original:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja.
    = We collect berries from the forest (place they come from).

Both are possible, but the idea slightly changes: location vs source.

Why is it marjoja and not marjat for “berries”?

Marjoja is the partitive plural of marja (berry).

  • marja = a berry
  • marjat = the berries / berries (a defined or whole group)
  • marjoja = berries (some, an indefinite amount)

The partitive case, especially in plural, often expresses:

  • an indefinite amount: some berries, not all, not counted
  • an incomplete or ongoing action
  • something like English “some berries” or just “berries” without specifying how many.

So:

  • Keräämme marjat.
    = We collect the berries (all of some specific set).

  • Keräämme marjoja.
    = We collect (some) berries (indefinite quantity, not all defined).

In this kind of sentence about collecting an unspecified amount, partitive plural (marjoja) is the natural choice.

Why are mustikoita and mansikoita used, and what form are they?

Mustikoita and mansikoita are the partitive plural forms of:

  • mustikka = blueberry
  • mansikka = strawberry

The pattern:

  • mustikka → mustikoita
  • mansikka → mansikoita

Explanation:

  1. Plural / stem change:

    • mustikka → stem: mustikka / mustiko-
    • mansikka → stem: mansikka / mansiko-

  2. Partitive plural ending: -ita / -itä / -ja etc., here -ita is realised as -oita (a vowel change that’s normal for this type of word).

So:

  • mustikkaa = (some) blueberry (singular partitive)
  • mustikat = the blueberries
  • mustikoita = (some) blueberries (indefinite plural, partitive)

Same for mansikka → mansikoita.

Because the sentence talks about “berries, for example blueberries and strawberries” in an indefinite amount, the partitive plural is used for all of them: marjoja, mustikoita, mansikoita.

Why are marjoja, mustikoita, and mansikoita all in the same case?

They’re all in the partitive plural, and they all depend on the same verb keräämme:

  • keräämme (mitä?) marjoja = we collect what? berries → partitive plural
  • Those berries are specified further:
    • (marjoja), esimerkiksi mustikoita ja mansikoita
    • mustikoita and mansikoita are examples of marjoja, so they stay in the same case as marjoja.

In Finnish, when you list things that share the same grammatical role, they generally go in the same case:

  • Syön omenoita, päärynöitä ja appelsiineja.
    = I eat apples, pears and oranges (all partitive plural).

Similarly here: all three are objects of the verb, and all are an indefinite amount, so they all use partitive plural.

What is the role of esimerkiksi here, and is the comma before it necessary?

Esimerkiksi means “for example”.

In this sentence:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja, esimerkiksi mustikoita ja mansikoita.
    = We collect berries from the forest, for example blueberries and strawberries.

So:

  • marjoja = berries in general
  • mustikoita ja mansikoita = specific examples of those berries

The comma before esimerkiksi is normal and works much like in English:

  • “We collect berries from the forest, for example blueberries and strawberries.”

You could also say:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja, kuten mustikoita ja mansikoita.
    where kuten = “such as”.

The comma is standard when you insert esimerkiksi with an example phrase.

Could you say the sentence without esimerkiksi, and would the meaning change?

Yes:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja, mustikoita ja mansikoita.

This is grammatical and would typically be understood as listing the things you collect:

  • We collect berries, blueberries and strawberries from the forest.

That can sound a bit like “berries, blueberries and strawberries” are three equal items in a list.

With esimerkiksi, the focus is:

  • We collect berries, for example blueberries and strawberries (i.e., blueberries and strawberries are subtypes of berries).

So adding esimerkiksi clarifies that mustikoita ja mansikoita are just examples of marjoja, not separate, unrelated items.

Is the Finnish present tense keräämme closer to “we collect”, “we are collecting”, or “we will collect”?

Finnish has one present tense that covers all of these, depending on context:

  • habitual / general:

    • Keräämme metsästä marjoja.
      → We collect berries from the forest (as a habit, every summer, etc.)

  • right now:

    • (Context: we are in the forest with buckets.)
    • Keräämme metsästä marjoja.
      → We are collecting berries from the forest.

  • future:

    • (Context: talking about next weekend’s plans.)
    • Lauantaina keräämme metsästä marjoja.
      → On Saturday, we will collect berries from the forest.

There is no separate future tense in Finnish; the present often covers future meaning. English speakers must infer the time from context or time expressions.

Is there any difference between kerätä and poimia in this context?

Both can be used with berries, but the nuance is slightly different:

  • kerätä = to collect, gather, accumulate

    • Can be used for berries, mushrooms, stamps, money, etc.
    • Keräämme metsästä marjoja. = We collect berries from the forest.

  • poimia = to pick (up), to gather items one by one (often from nature)

    • Very natural specifically for berries, mushrooms, flowers, etc.
    • Poimimme metsästä marjoja. = We pick berries from the forest.

In everyday speech about going to pick berries, poimia marjoja and kerätä marjoja are both common. Poimia can sound a bit more like picking each berry, kerätä a bit more like collecting them, but the difference is often small in this context.

Why doesn’t Finnish use words like “the” or “some” here? How do we know if it’s “the berries” or “some berries”?

Finnish has no articles (a, an, the), so things like definiteness and quantity are expressed using:

  • case (like the partitive)
  • context
  • word order or additional words

In this sentence:

  • marjoja is partitive plural, which typically indicates an indefinite amount.
    This is very close to English “some berries” or just “berries” in a general sense.

If you wanted “the berries” in the sense of a specific, complete set, you’d use the nominative plural or accusative form:

  • Keräämme marjat.
    = We collect the berries (all of them, some specific berries you and the listener know about).

So here, the grammar (partitive plural) already tells you that the idea is “some berries / berries in general”, not “the berries”.

How is marjoja pronounced, especially the -j-?

Marjoja is pronounced roughly like:

  • [ˈmɑr.jo.jɑ] (IPA)
  • Syllables: mar-jo-ja (three syllables, stress on the first: MAR-yo-ya)

Key points:

  • j in Finnish is like English y in yes.
  • So marjoja sounds like “MAR-yo-ya”, not “mar-joh-jah” with an English j.

Each vowel is pronounced clearly and separately:

  • a like in father
  • o like in or but shorter
  • j like y in yes

Same pattern for mustikoita (mus-ti-koi-ta) and mansikoita (man-si-koi-ta) – stress always on the first syllable.

Could the sentence start with Metsästä instead of Keräämme? Does that sound natural?

Yes:

  • Metsästä keräämme marjoja, esimerkiksi mustikoita ja mansikoita.

This is grammatically correct. The difference is in emphasis:

  • Keräämme metsästä marjoja…
    → more neutral; focus starts on the action (“we collect”).

  • Metsästä keräämme marjoja…
    → draws attention first to the place (“from the forest we collect berries”),
    so it emphasizes where the berries come from.

Finnish word order is flexible; moving elements to the front often changes focus, not basic meaning. The original version is the most typical neutral order, but starting with Metsästä is fine if you want that nuance.