Learn Hardcore Finnish: Minulla on tapana verrata itseäni muihin, ja se lisää joskus kateutta. - I have a habit of comparing myself to others, and that sometimes increases jealousy.

Minulla on tapana = I have as a habit → I have a habit (of)…
Minä olen tapana would literally be I am (as) a habit, which does not make sense.

So the pattern is:

Minulla on tapana + infinitive = I tend to / I usually / I have a habit of doing X.

What does tapana mean exactly, and what form is it in?

The base noun is tapa = habit, way, manner.

Tapana is essive case (ending -na / -nä), often meaning as, in the role of, in the state of.

In this idiom:

Minulla on tapana literally: On me is as a habit.
Natural English: I have a habit (of…) / I tend to…

So tapana = as a habit, and tapa is the nominative base form.

Could you also say Minulla on tapa verrata itseäni muihin? Is there a difference?

Yes, Minulla on tapa verrata itseäni muihin is grammatically correct.

Nuance:

Minulla on tapana verrata…
– Very common idiomatic expression
– Sounds like a general tendency: I tend to compare myself… / I’m in the habit of…
Minulla on tapa verrata…
– More literal: I have a habit/way of comparing…
– Slightly more concrete-sounding, sometimes more formal or specific.

In everyday speech, Minulla on tapana… is more typical for this “I tend to…” meaning.

Why is verrata in this basic form and not vertaan?

Verrata is the first infinitive (dictionary form). After the expression Minulla on tapana, the verb describing the habit stays in the infinitive:

Minulla on tapana + verrata
Minulla on tapana + herätä aikaisin (I have a habit of waking up early.)
Minulla on tapana + myöhästellä (I tend to be late.)

If you said vertaan, that would be a finite verb (I compare), and you would need a different structure, e.g.:

Minä vertaan itseäni muihin. = I compare myself to others.

But in the original sentence, we are describing a habit, so we use on tapana + infinitive.

What is itseäni made of, and why not itseni?

The base word is itse = self (reflexive pronoun).

Itseäni is:

itse (self)
-ä (partitive ending)
-ni (1st person singular possessive suffix = my)

So itseäni = myself in partitive case.

Why partitive?

Because verrata often takes a partitive object when we’re talking about the action in general or as a process, and especially with abstract/comparative contexts. So:

verrata itseäni = compare myself (myself = object in partitive)

Itseni would be genitive or accusative-type form and would sound wrong here with verrata. The natural object form with this verb is itseäni.

Why is muihin used, and what form is it in?

The base word is muu = other.

Muihin is:

plural stem: mui-
illative plural ending: -hin

So muihin = into the others / to (the) others.

The verb verrata (to compare) typically uses this pattern:

verrata jotakuta johonkin
= to compare someone to something

Here:

itseäni (partitive) = the thing being compared
muihin (illative plural) = the group you compare yourself to

So verrata itseäni muihin = to compare myself to others.

What does se refer to in ja se lisää joskus kateutta?

Se here is a pronoun that refers back to the whole previous idea:

se = the habit of comparing myself to others

So:

Minulla on tapana verrata itseäni muihin, ja se lisää joskus kateutta.
= I have a habit of comparing myself to others, and that sometimes increases envy.

In Finnish, se is often used to refer to an entire preceding clause or situation, just like English that or it.

Is lisää a verb or a noun here?

Here lisää is a verb, the 3rd person singular present of lisätä (to add, to increase).

se lisää = it adds / it increases

As a noun, lisää can mean more, an addition, but in this sentence it functions as:

(se) = subject
lisää = verb (he/she/it form)
kateutta = object (partitive)

So: se lisää kateutta = it increases envy.

Why is kateutta in the partitive case and not kateus?

The base noun is kateus = envy.

Kateutta is the partitive singular form.

Reasons for partitive here:

Amount / indefiniteness
- With verbs like lisätä (to add/increase), the object is often in partitive when you are talking about an indefinite amount of something:
  - lisätä sokeria = add (some) sugar
  - lisää kateutta = adds (some) envy / increases envy
Abstract, uncountable noun
- Abstract feelings are frequently in the partitive when you talk about them as quantities or intensities (more envy, some envy).

Lisää kateus would sound wrong; kateus in nominative would be used in a different role (e.g. as a subject: kateus on vahva tunne – envy is a strong feeling).

Could the word order be Joskus se lisää kateutta instead of se lisää joskus kateutta? Is there a difference?

Yes, both are correct:

Se lisää joskus kateutta.
– Neutral: It sometimes increases envy.
– Slight emphasis on se (the thing that increases envy).
Joskus se lisää kateutta.
– Slight emphasis on joskus: Sometimes it increases envy (and sometimes it doesn’t).
– Sounds a bit more like you are talking about time or frequency first.

Finnish word order is quite flexible; moving joskus mainly shifts the focus or emphasis, not the core meaning.

Can you say Minulla on tapana vertailla itseäni muihin instead of verrata? What is the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Minulla on tapana vertailla itseäni muihin.

Difference:

verrata = to compare (more neutral, single act or general comparing)
vertailla = to compare repeatedly / to compare in detail, to compare a lot (frequentative/iterative nuance)

With on tapana (habit), vertailla can make the idea of repeated or constant comparing even stronger:

verrata itseäni muihin = compare myself to others
vertailla itseäni muihin = keep comparing / often compare myself to others

Both are understandable; choice depends on nuance.

Is the comma before ja necessary in …, ja se lisää joskus kateutta?

In Finnish, when ja connects two independent clauses (each with its own subject and verb), a comma is usually used:

Minulla on tapana verrata itseäni muihin, ja se lisää joskus kateutta.
– Clause 1: Minulla on tapana verrata itseäni muihin
– Clause 2: se lisää joskus kateutta

So the comma is standard and correct here. Finnish tends to use commas more than English in such cases, where English might optionally omit it:
“… and it sometimes increases envy.”

Are there other common ways to express the same idea in Finnish?

Yes, some natural alternatives are:

Minulla on taipumus verrata itseäni muihin, ja se lisää joskus kateutta.
– taipumus = tendency (slightly more formal/psychological)
Olen taipuvainen vertaamaan itseäni muihin, mikä joskus lisää kateutta.
– olen taipuvainen = I am inclined to
– mikä refers to that tendency (which sometimes increases envy), a bit more formal/written.
Vertaan usein itseäni muihin, ja se aiheuttaa joskus kateutta.
– vertaan usein = I often compare
– aiheuttaa = causes (slightly different verb nuance)

The original Minulla on tapana verrata itseäni muihin, ja se lisää joskus kateutta is very natural and idiomatic, especially for spoken or neutral written Finnish.