Understanding Negative Sentences in Finnish
In Finnish, making a sentence negative is a bit different from English. Instead of adding a word like 'not,' Finnish uses a special verb called a negative verb. This verb changes based on who is doing the action.
Important Points
- The negative verb 'ei' changes with the subject of the sentence.
- The main verb stays in a basic form called the infinitive stem.
- Negative sentences do not use 'not' like in English.
Let's see how the negative verb 'ei' changes. If you are talking about yourself, you say 'en.' If you are talking about someone else, like 'he' or 'she,' you say 'ei.' For 'we,' it's 'emme,' and for 'they,' it's 'eivät.'
Examples
- Minä en syö omenaa. (I do not eat an apple.)
- Hän ei nuku hyvin. (He/She does not sleep well.)
- He eivät pelaa jalkapalloa. (They do not play soccer.)
It's important to remember that the structure of a negative sentence in Finnish is different from English. Practice makes perfect, so try to use these rules when you speak or write in Finnish.
Important Points
- Always start with the correct form of 'ei' for the subject.
- Follow with the main verb in its infinitive stem form.
- No need for 'not' or any other negative word.