A1 Finnish GrammarArticles (Finnish Has None)
Learn how Finnish expresses definiteness without articles. Understand word order, demonstratives, and context clues that replace 'a/an' and 'the' in Finnish.
1Finnish Has No Articles
Unlike English, Finnish has NO articles (no 'a', 'an', or 'the'). Context, word order, and cases determine whether something is definite or indefinite. This is good news—no articles to memorize!
No Articles Needed
| Finnish | Can mean | Context decides |
|---|---|---|
| koira | a dog / the dog | context |
| auto | a car / the car | context |
| kirja | a book / the book | context |
| talo | a house / the house | context |
Examples
Koira juoksee.
A dog runs. / The dog runs.
no article needed
Auto on punainen.
The car is red.
context = definite
Haluan omenan.
I want an apple.
indefinite from context
Opettaja tulee.
The teacher is coming.
known teacher = definite
2Word Order for Emphasis
New or indefinite information often comes later in the sentence. Known or definite information comes first. This helps show 'a' vs 'the' without articles.
Word Order and Definiteness
| Finnish | Word Order | English |
|---|---|---|
| Koira on pihalla. | subject first | The dog is in the yard. |
| Pihalla on koira. | new info last | There's a dog in the yard. |
| Mies tulee. | subject first | The man is coming. |
| Tulee mies. | new info last | A man is coming. |
Examples
Pöydällä on kirja.
There is a book on the table.
new info (kirja) last
Kirja on pöydällä.
The book is on the table.
known subject first
Tänään tulee vieras.
A guest is coming today.
new person last
Vieras tulee tänään.
The guest is coming today.
known guest first
3Demonstratives (This/That)
When you need to be specific, use demonstratives: tämä (this), tuo (that over there), se (that/it). These work like 'the' when pointing to specific things.
Demonstratives
| Finnish | English | Use |
|---|---|---|
| tämä | this | near speaker |
| tuo | that | visible, further away |
| se | that/it | known, mentioned before |
| nämä/nuo/ne | these/those/those | plural forms |
Examples
Tämä kirja on hyvä.
This book is good.
tämä = this (here)
Tuo auto on kallis.
That car is expensive.
tuo = that (there)
Se on minun.
That is mine.
se = it/that (known)
Nämä ovat hyviä.
These are good.
nämä = these
4Yksi as Indefinite Marker
Sometimes 'yksi' (one) is used like 'a/an' to emphasize that something is new or unspecified. This is optional but common in storytelling.
Yksi as 'A/An'
| Finnish | Literal | Natural English |
|---|---|---|
| Yksi mies tuli. | One man came. | A man came. |
| Minulla on yksi idea. | I have one idea. | I have an idea. |
| Näin yhden koiran. | I saw one dog. | I saw a dog. |
| kerran (yksi kerta) | one time | once |
Examples
Yksi nainen kysyi minulta.
A woman asked me.
yksi emphasizes 'a certain'
Näin yhden ongelman.
I saw a problem.
yhden = accusative of yksi
Olipa kerran kuningas.
Once upon a time there was a king.
story opening
Tarvitsen yhden vastauksen.
I need an answer.
indefinite emphasis