Understanding the Finnish Present Tense
The present tense in Finnish is used to talk about things happening right now or things that happen regularly. It's like when you say 'I am eating' or 'I eat' in English.
Forming the Present Tense
In Finnish, verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action. This is called conjugation. Let's learn how to do it!
Important Points
- Find the verb stem: Remove the -a or -ä ending from the basic form of the verb.
- Add the right ending: Depending on who is doing the action, add -n, -t, -mme, -tte, or -vat/-vät.
- Use -n for 'I', -t for 'you', -mme for 'we', -tte for 'you all', and -vat/-vät for 'they'.
- For 'he/she/it', just use the verb stem.
Examples
- Minä syön omenan. (I eat an apple.)
- Sinä juot vettä. (You drink water.)
- He lukevat kirjaa. (They read a book.)
The present tense can be used to describe actions happening now, habits, or general truths. It's very useful!
Important Points
- Use it to say what you are doing right now.
- Use it to talk about things you do often.
- Use it to share facts or truths.
Examples
- Me pelaamme jalkapalloa. (We play soccer.)
- Kissa nukkuu sohvalla. (The cat sleeps on the couch.)
- Aurinko paistaa. (The sun shines.)