A2 Finnish GrammarPossessive Pronouns
Learn Finnish possessive pronouns (omistuspronominit) to replace nouns and avoid repetition. Unlike many languages, Finnish uses possessive suffixes attached to nouns, but standalone possessive pronouns also exist. This lesson covers both systems for expressing ownership.
1Possessive Suffixes Review
Finnish primarily expresses possession through suffixes attached directly to nouns rather than separate pronouns. These suffixes (-ni, -si, -nsa/-nsä, -mme, -nne) are added to the noun and agree with the possessor. The genitive pronoun often precedes the noun for emphasis.
Possessive Suffixes
| Person | Suffix | With 'kirja' (book) |
|---|---|---|
| minä (I) | -ni | kirjani (my book) |
| sinä (you) | -si | kirjasi (your book) |
| hän (he/she) | -nsa/-nsä | kirjansa (his/her book) |
| me (we) | -mme | kirjamme (our book) |
| te (you pl.) | -nne | kirjanne (your book) |
| he (they) | -nsa/-nsä | kirjansa (their book) |
Examples
Missä on kirjani?
Where is my book?
-ni = my (1st person singular)
Onko tämä sinun autosi?
Is this your car?
sinun + autosi for emphasis
Heidän talonsa on suuri.
Their house is big.
heidän + talonsa = their house
Näetkö koiramme?
Do you see our dog?
-mme = our (1st person plural)
2Standalone Possessive Pronouns
Finnish uses 'minun omani', 'sinun omasi', etc. to express 'mine', 'yours' as standalone pronouns. The word 'oma' (own) takes the possessive suffix and replaces the noun entirely. This construction is used when the noun is understood from context.
Standalone Forms
| English | Finnish | Literal |
|---|---|---|
| mine | minun omani | my own |
| yours (sg) | sinun omasi | your own |
| his/hers | hänen omansa | his/her own |
| ours | meidän omamme | our own |
| yours (pl) | teidän omanne | your own |
| theirs | heidän omansa | their own |
Examples
Tämä puhelin on minun omani.
This phone is mine.
minun omani = mine
Onko tuo sinun omasi?
Is that one yours?
sinun omasi = yours
Hänen omansa on parempi.
His/hers is better.
hänen omansa = his/hers
Meidän omamme on täällä.
Ours is here.
meidän omamme = ours
3Using Genitive with Olla (to be)
To express ownership with 'to be', Finnish uses the genitive pronoun alone with the verb 'olla'. The structure is: noun + on + genitive pronoun. This is a simpler alternative to using 'oma' and is very common in everyday speech.
Genitive Pronouns for Possession
| Pronoun | Genitive | Example |
|---|---|---|
| minä | minun | Se on minun. |
| sinä | sinun | Se on sinun. |
| hän | hänen | Se on hänen. |
| me | meidän | Se on meidän. |
| te | teidän | Se on teidän. |
| he | heidän | Se on heidän. |
Examples
Tämä auto on minun.
This car is mine.
minun = mine (genitive)
Kenen tämä on? Se on sinun.
Whose is this? It is yours.
sinun = yours
Nuo avaimet ovat hänen.
Those keys are his/hers.
hänen = his/hers
Talo on meidän.
The house is ours.
meidän = ours
4Case Endings with Possessive Suffixes
When a noun with a possessive suffix is in a case other than nominative, the case ending comes before the possessive suffix. The noun stem may change according to normal consonant gradation rules. This is important for correct sentence construction.
Case + Possessive Suffix
| Case | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | stem + poss. | kirjani (my book) |
| Genitive | stem + n + poss. | kirjani (of my book) |
| Inessive | stem + ssa/ssä + poss. | kirjassani (in my book) |
| Partitive | stem + a/ä + poss. | kirjaani (my book, part.) |
Examples
Etsin avaimiani.
I am looking for my keys.
avaimet → avaimia + ni (partitive)
Kirjassani on kuvia.
There are pictures in my book.
kirja + ssa + ni (inessive)
Talossanne on iso puutarha.
There is a big garden in your house.
talo + ssa + nne (inessive)
Hän asuu vanhempiensa luona.
He/she lives at his/her parents place.
vanhemmat → vanhempien + sa (genitive)