# Finnish/Grammar-Suffixes

^^Contents^^ <<Grammar-Vowel harmony | Grammar-Suffixes |
Now the big part! In Finnish, like all Finno-Ugric languages, there are a huge series of suffixes to represent plurals, positions, postpositions (prepositions), pronouns and descriptions. They are grouped in to 4 groups of which there is a strict order, Group 1 which are plurals, Group 2 which are positions (2a) and postpositions (2b), Group 3 which are accusative pronouns, and Group 4 which are descriptions (i.e. also, too). To describe the suffixes easily the word auto (car) is used.

## Group 1: Plurals

The first group of suffixes are plurals, of which there are 3 different ways.

### -t

You can pluralize many words by simply putting a "t" after the word:
* auto → autot ; car → cars
* kirja → kirjat ; book → books
If there are "kk", "pp", or "tt" in a word in a similar way like those below, pluralize it in the following way:
* kukka → kukat ; flower → flowers
* hattu → hatut ; hat → hats
If a word has "nk" in a similar way like those below, pluralize in the following way:
* kenkä → kengät ; shoe → shoes
* sanko → sangot ; bucket → buckets
* henki → henget ; spirit → spirits
If a word ends with a letter "s" like those below, pluralize it in the following way:
* varis → varikset ; crow → crows
* tulos → tulokset ; result → results
If a word ends with "nen" like those below, pluralize it in the following way:
* kukkanen → kukkaset ; small flower → small flowers
* Virtanen → Virtaset ;

### -i (-j)

To pluralise a word with another suffix you put an i in between the word and the suffix(es). If there is a cluster of more than 2 vowels, then the i becomes a j
* autossani → autoissani in my car → in my cars
* autoa → autoja car → cars (partitive)

### -a

When there is a number before the word to indicate an amount, you put an a after the word (in fact this is not a plural at all, but partitive: it is the number that takes the formal role of auto in the sentence, more about that later)
* auto → kaksi autoa car → two cars
* autoni → kaksi autoani my car → my two cars

## Exercises

Answer to these exercises are at the end of the page.

### Exercise Number One

Pluralize these Finnish words. Translations in English are beside some words.
* talo (house)
* koira (dog)
* kirja (book)
* lappu (note)
* näppäimistö (keyboard)
* takki (coat)
* mökki (cottage)
* koti (home)
* katu (street)
* jalas (runner)
* Leinonen
* kello (clock/bell)
* mato (worm)
* sänky (bed)
* piste (dot/point)

### Exercise number two

Pluralize the following words. These are a bit harder than the previous ones.
* teko (act)
* lumihanki
* laite (gadget)
* pilvi
* haapa
* tuuletin
* tiede
* kanne
* kansi
* vaaka

### Exercise number three

Pluralize these words which have another suffixes. There are rough translations in English.
* autossa (in a car)
* autona (as a car)
* kellossani (in my clock)
* kelloa (clock(partitive))
* kynällä (with a pen)
* koneessa (in a machine)
* korissa (in a basket)
* kirjasta (from a book)

## Answers
### Exercise Number One

* talot (houses)
* koirat (dogs)
* kirjat (books)
* laput (notes)
* näppäimistöt (keyboards)
* takit
* mökit
* kodit
* kadut (streets)
* jalakset
* Leinoset
* kellot
* madot
* sängyt
* pisteet

### Exercise number two

* teot (acts)
* lumihanget
* laitteet (gadgets)
* pilvet
* haavat
* tuulettimet
* tieteet
* kanteet
* kannet
* vaa'at

### Exercise number three

* autoissa (in cars)
* autoina (as cars)
* kelloissani (in my clocks)
* kelloja ((clocks)partitive)
* kynillä (with pens)
* koneissa (in machines)
* koreissa (in baskets)
* kirjoista (from books)