Saturday, January 19, 2013

Finnish words ending with 'e'

Terve! This post is about the Finnish words that end with the vowel e. Here are some examples:

  • Kylpyhuoneessa haisee homeelta. - It smells like mold in the bathroom.
  • Sinä et tarvitse uutta tietokonetta. - You don't need a new computer. 
  • Kenen vaatteet nämä ovat? - Whose clothes are these?

The e doubles, partitive has two t's and there is a reverse consonant change: 


  • Nominative osoite: Tämä on mun uusi sähköpostiosoite. - This is my new email address. 
  • Genitive osoitteen: Olen kadottanut sun osoitteen. - I've lost your address. 
  • Partitive osoitetta: Etkö sä tiedä sun omaa osoitetta? - Don't you know your own address?
  • Plural partitive osoitteita: Miksi sinä et ole kirjottanut sun kavereiden osoitteita ylös? - Why haven't you written down your friends' addresses?





Everyday e-words:



These ones have a consonant change - a weak grade in the basic form but strong grade in the stem:


  • taide - art
  • tiede - science
  • osoite - an address
  • lomake - a form
  • esite - a brochure
  • näyte a sample
  • kastike - a sauce
  • tilanne - a situation
  • tavoite - a goal
  • vaate - a piece of clothing

Notice that many e-words derive from a verb:


  • pyyhkiä > pyyhe - to wipe > a towel
  • polttaa > polte - to burn > a burning feeling
  • jättää > jäte - to leave > a waste
  • katsoa > katse - to watch > a look

Kiroillaan! - Let's swear!


The swear words perkele (devil) and perse (ass) also belong to this group. Notice the swearing structure where you have the first swear word(s) in the genitive form:

  • Perkeleen perkele!

Another classic is quite vulgar, but so often used:

  • Tämä on ihan perseestä. - This totally sucks. (You can do the exact translation, right?)

Lue lisää: 




About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

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