Finnish Verb types: How to use them
Types of Finnish Verbs and usages
There are six verb types in Finnish. It’s important to know which verb type a verb belongs to, because every verb type has its own rules when you conjugate them.
1. Verb type 1
Verb type 1 is the most commonly used verb type. These types of verbs end in 2 vowels(-aa, -ea, -eä, -ia, -iä, -oa, -ua, -yä, -ää, -öä).
To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem (this is the stem to which you add the endings that are typical for the minä form, the sinä form, etc): remove the -a or -ä. Remember that verb type 1 verbs undergo consonant gradation if possible!| Puhua (to speak) | Sanoa (to say) | Istua (to sit) | ||||
| Person | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English |
| minä | puhun | I speak | sanon | I say | istun | I sit |
| sinä | puhut | you speak | sanot | you say | istut | you sit |
| hän | puhuu | he speaks | sanoo | he says | istuu | he sits |
| me | puhumme | we speak | sanomme | we say | istumme | we sit |
| te | puhutte | you speak | sanotte | you say | istutte | you sit |
| he | puhuvat | they speak | sanovat | they say | istuvat | they sit |
Examples of verb type 1 that undergo consonant gradation
Some other common type 1 verbs: ajaa (to drive), alkaa (to start, to begin), antaa (to give, to let (someone do something), to allow), asua (to live in a place, to reside), auttaa (to help), etsiä (to look for, to seek), herättää (to wake (someone) up), hoitaa (to take care of),
huutaa (to shout), katsoa (to look at), kieltää (to deny), kiertää (to go around), kirjoittaa (to write), kysyä (to ask), laajentaa (to expand), laskea (to count), lukea (to read), lähteä (to leave), maksaa (to pay, to cost), muistaa (to remember), neuvoa (to give advice), odottaa (to wait, to expect), ostaa
(to buy), ottaa (to take), paistaa (to fry, to shine), puhua (to speak), rakastaa (to love), rakastua (to fall in love), saartaa (to shatter), sallia (to allow), sanoa (to say), soittaa (to call, to play (an instrument)), sortaa (to collapse), tietää (to know something), tuntea (to feel), unohtaa (to forget), unohtua (to forget oneself), vaatia (to demand), ymmärtää (to understand)
2. Verb type 2
These types of verbs end in -da/-dä. To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, youremove the -da/-dä.
Notice that the third person singular doesn’t get the final letter doubled like in verb type 1!| Saada (to get) | Juoda (to drink) | Syödä (to eat) | ||||
| Person | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English |
| minä | saan | I get | juon | I drink | syön | I eat |
| sinä | saat | you get | juot | you drink | syöt | you eat |
| hän | saa | he gets | juo | he drinks | syö | he eats |
| me | saamme | we get | juomme | we drink | syömme | we eat |
| te | saatte | you get | juotte | you drink | syötte | you eat |
| he | saavat | they get | juovat | they drink | syövät | they eat |
Some other common type 2 verbs: juoda (to drink), jäädä (to stay), käydä (to visit), luennoida (to lecture), myydä (to sell), pysäköidä (to park), saada (to get, to be allowed), soida (to ring (out), syödä (to eat), terrorisoida (to terrorize), tuoda (to bring), tupakoida (to smoke), uida (to swim), viedä (to take), voida (to be able to)
3. Verb type 3
This type of verbs ends in -lla/-llä, -nna/-nnä, -ra/-rä, -sta/-stä (in other words: in two consonants and a vowel). To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, remove the -la or -lä, -na or -nä, -ra or -rä, or -ta or -tä.To this stem, you add an -e- before adding the personal ending!
Remember that verb type 3 verbs undergo consonant gradation if possible!| Tulla (to come) | Mennä (to go) | Nousta (to rise) | ||||
| Person | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English |
| minä | tulen | I come | menen | I go | nousen | I rise |
| sinä | tulet | you come | menet | you go | nouset | you rise |
| hän | tulee | he comes | menee | he goes | nousee | he rises |
| me | tulemme | we come | menemme | we go | nousemme | we rise |
| te | tulette | you come | menette | you go | nousette | you rise |
| he | tulevat | they come | menevät | they go | nousevat | they rise |
Examples of verb type 3 that undergo consonant gradation
Some other common type 3 verbs: ajatella (to think about something), hymyillä (to smile), julkaista (to publish), kiistellä (to quarrel), kuulla (to hear), kuunnella (to listen), kävellä (to walk), mennä (to go), nousta (to rise, to get up), olla (to be), ommella (to sew), opetella (to learn), opiskella (to study), panna (to put), pestä (to wash), purra (to bite), ratkaista (to solve), riidellä (to fight), surra (to mourn), suudella (to kiss), tapella (to fight), tulla (to come, to become), työskennellä (to work)
4. Verb type 4
These types of verbs end in -ata/-ätä, -ota/-ötä, -uta/-ytä. To find this type of verb’sinfinitive stem, you remove the -t. (so NOT the final -a!)
The third person singular gets an -a added to the end when the two vowels from the stem are different vowels. When the two vowels are -aa- it wouldn’t make sense to add a third one, so we add nothing. Remember that verb type 4 verbs undergo consonant gradation if possible!| Haluta (to want) | Osata (to be able to) | Pakata (to pack) | ||||
| Person | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English |
| minä | haluan | I want | osaan | I am able to | pakkaan | I pack |
| sinä | haluat | you want | osaat | you’re able to | pakkaat | you pack |
| hän | haluaa | he wants | osaa | he’s able to | pakkaa | he packs |
| me | haluamme | we want | osaamme | we’re able to | pakkaamme | we pack |
| te | haluatte | you want | osaatte | you’re able to | pakkaatte | you pack |
| he | haluavat | they want | osaavat | they’re able to | pakkaavat | they pack |
Examples of verb type 4 that undergo consonant gradation
Some other common type 4 verbs: avata (to open), erota (to divorce), hakata (to beat), haluta (to want), herätä (to wake up), huomata (to notice), hypätä (to jump), hävetä (to be ashamed), hävitä (to lose, to disappear), juoruta
(to gossip), kadota (to disappear), kiivetä (to climb), lakata (to stop), luvata (to promise), maata (to lie (down)), määrätä (to determine), osata (to be able to), pelata (to play), pelätä (to be scared), piffata (to treat), pihdata (to skimp), pudota (to fall), ruveta (to start), selvitä (to become clear), siivota (to clean), tarjota (to offer, to serve), tavata (to meet), tilata (to order), todeta (to state), tykätä (to like), vastata (to answer), älytä (to get something, to understand)
5. Verb type 5
These types of verbs end in -ita/-itä. Ocassionally, you will come across verbs that have this ending but do not conjugate the same way; these verbs belong to verb type 4.
To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, you remove the final -ta/-tä. To this stem, you then add -tse- before adding the personal ending!| Häiritä (to disturb) | Tarvita (to need) | |||
| Person | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English |
| minä | häiritsen | I disturb | tarvitsen | I need |
| sinä | häiritset | you disturb | tarvitset | you need |
| hän | häiritsee | he disturbs | tarvitsee | he needs |
| me | häiritsemme | we disturb | tarvitsemme | we need |
| te | häiritsette | you disturb | tarvitsette | you need |
| he | häiritsevät | they disturb | tarvitsevat | they need |
Some other common type 5 verbs: hallita (to rule, to govern, to be able to), havaita (to perceive), hillitä (to restrain, to check, to control), häiritä (to disturb), kyyditä (to give someone a lift, to drive), mainita (to mention), merkitä (to mark), palkita (to reward, to award), tarvita (to need), tulkita (to interpret)
6. Verb type 6
Verb type 6 is very rarely used. This type of verb ends in -eta/-etä. The meaning will always be “to become something”, meaning it implies a change from one state to another. If a verb of this type doesn’t mean a change, it will be conjugated like a normal verb type 4 verb.
To find this type of verb’s infinitive stem, you remove the final -ta/-tä. To this stem, you then add -ne- before adding the personal ending! Remember that verb type 6 verbs undergo consonant gradation if possible!| Vaaleta (to whiten) | Lämmetä (to become warm) | |||
| Person | Conjugation | English | Conjugation | English |
| minä | vaalenen | I whiten | lämpenen | I become warm |
| sinä | vaalenet | you whiten | lämpenet | you become warm |
| hän | vaalenee | he whitens | lämpenee | he becomes warm |
| me | vaalenemme | we whiten | lämpenemme | we become warm |
| te | vaalenette | you whiten | lämpenette | you become warm |
| he | vaalenevat | they whiten | lämpenevät | they become warm |
Some other common type 6 verbs: paeta (to run away), kylmetä (to get cold), vanheta (to become old), kalveta (to turn pale), valjeta (to brighten up), tarjeta (to stand the cold), rohjeta (to presume), nuoreta (to become younger), pidetä (to become longer), lyhetä (to become shorter), tummeta (to darken), kyetä (to be able to), vaieta (to become silent), aueta (to come loose)
Examples of verb type 6 verbs that get conjugated like verb type 4: kiivetä (to climb), ruveta (to start) and hävetä (to be ashamed)