The Finnish Object – Objekti

The object is very important in Finnish. The lack of certain elements in the Finnish language
is covered by the object.

For example, since Finnish doesn’t have a future tense, you can use the object to express
whether something is going on right now, or sometime in the future. The object also is a way
of differentiating between the English “the” and “a”; the definite and indefinite article.
Because of these reasons, the object is crucial in Finnish.

The object can appear in the following cases:

 The partitive case (Juon kahvia, kuuntelen radiota, rakennan taloa)

 The genitive case (Otan kupin, syön omenan, rakensin talon)
 The T-plural (Otan kupit, syön omenat, rakensin talot)
 The partitive plural (Syön mansikoita, remontoin huonekaluja)
 The nominative (Ota kuppi, syö omena, täytyy rakentaa talo)
 The accusative (Tunnen sinut, näen heidät, valitsen sinut)

1. The Use of the Finnish Object

1.1. Countables vs. Uncountables
Firstly, the object is used to express countable (e.g. a glass, steak, table) and uncountable (e.g.
water, love, intellect) quantities.

1. When the object is uncountable, we use the partitive case. In English, when
something is uncountable, you generally can use the word “some” rather than “a”.
For example, you will be eating some cheese, not a cheese. (#1)
2. The genitive case is used when your object is countable. You can, for example,
count cups even though you can’t count the coffee in them. (#2)

# Finnish English
1 Me juomme kahvia. We are drinking coffee.
1 Antti syö juustoa. Antti is eating cheese.
1 Haluan vain rakkautta. I only want love.
1 Ostan maitoa. I buy milk.
1 Tarvitsen rahaa. I need money.
2 Me juomme kupin kahvia. We are drinking a cup of coffee.
2 Antti syö pihvin. Antti is eating a steak.
2 Haluan vain vaimon. I only want a wife.
2 Ostan maitotölkin. I buy a carton of milk.
2 Tarvitsen ystävän. I need a friend.

1.2. Expressing Completion vs Incompletion

The object is also used to differentiate between completed and incompleted actions.

1. The partitive is used when the action is currently incomplete or has been
abandoned and will, thus, never be completed.
2. The genitive is used to express that the action is completely done.
 # Finnish English
1 Luin kirjaa. I was reading (some of) a/the book.
2 Luin kirjan. I read the (whole) book.
1 Katsoimme elokuvaa. We watched (part of) a/the movie.
2 Katsoimme elokuvan. We watched the movie (until the end)
1 Ammuin karhua. I shot (at) a/the bear.
2 Ammuin karhun. I shot a/the bear (dead).

1.3. Expressing Intent

Finnish doesn’t have a future tense. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t express future events
or intent. You can learn the different ways to express intent more closely on our page
about the future tense. On this page, we’ll just look at the object’s role in doing that.

The verb in all the sentences below is conjugated in the present tense. However, the sentences
with the object in the genitive refer to intentions for the future.

1. The partitive is used when the action is currently happening and, thus,
incomplete.
2. The genitive is used to express that our intention is to complete the action that is
currently happening.

# Finnish English
1 Luen kirjaa. I’m reading a/the book (currently happening)
2 Luen kirjan. I will read the book (finishing the whole book)
1 Katsomme elokuvaa. We’re watching a movie (currently happening)
2 Katsomme elokuvan. We will watch the movie (watching the whole movie)
1 Rakennan taloa. I’m building a house (currently happening)
2 Rakennan talon. I am building / will build a house (completely)

2. The Different Object Types

You will get a more detailed overview of when to use a partitive object or a total object
below. However, let’s first take a look at what both are.
2.1. The Partitive Object
The partitive is used for many things, e.g. after numbers, in negative sentences and to express
that something is incomplete. Our page on the partitive case should give you a nice overview
about all these different situations.
2.2. The Total Object
The “total object” (totaaliobjekti) has gotten that name because it expresses that something is
happening to “the whole” object (e.g. syön omenan – I eat the whole apple). The total object
can appear in several different forms. Depending on the sentence type, it can appear in the
genitive case (omenan), the nominative case (omena) or the plural nominative (omenat).
2.3. The Accusative: History and Controversy
The case called “the accusative” has been the cause of many arguments among linguists.
Originally, the accusative was seen as a case that could have several different-looking
endings based on the context. These endings were: -n (which looks like the genitive), -
t (which looks like the T-plural) or no ending at all (which looks like the nominative). The
reason these were all grouped under the accusative name was purely semantical: it was used
to mark the total object of a sentence.
However, some linguists (and Finnish teachers) found that basing a case on its function was
not the most logical way to look at it. Much easier would be to base it on its looks. Hence:
 When a total object looks like a genitive (Ostan auton), we will call the case the
genitive.
 When a total object looks like the nominative (Osta auto), we will call the case the
nominative.
 When a total object looks like the T-plural (Ostan autot), we will call the case the
plural nominative.

This leaves the “accusative” with a role that is much smaller than before. These days, the
accusative is usually only used as a term to indicate personal pronouns, when they appear as a
total object in a sentence.

 Sinä kutsut minut juhliisi.

 Minä kutsun sinut juhliini.
 Me valitsemme hänet.
 Pomo lomauttaa meidät.
 Teidät on valittu meille töihin!
 Hän näki heidät eläintarhassa.
 Kenet valittiin puheenjohtajaksi?
Read more about the accusative!

3. Comparison Between the Cases

Let the battle of the cases begin! This is where the fun begins. If you have a very analytical
mind, this will all make sense to you. However, don’t despair if you can’t grasp all of this at
once. This is a complicated matter that will haunt you for a long time. Many immigrants will
still be recognizable as non-native speakers by their object mistakes.

If you want to cheat a little bit, you could do what I did in the beginning, and just use the
partitive whenever you’re not 100% sure which case is the right one. The partitive case is the
most common form for objects to appear in, so you minimize your rate of error by going for
the partitive in cases of doubt.

3.1. Partitive vs. Genitive

First and foremost: the partitive is the STRONGEST of all the case. By that I mean that — if
there is any reason at all in the sentence to use the partitive, you should do so. It trumps all
the other cases.

As such, the rules below should be seen as a HIERARCHY.

3.1.1. Negative vs. Affirmative Sentences

No matter what kind of an object sentence you are dealing with, it will have
a partitive object as soon as the sentence is negative. This rule trumps over all the other
rules.

Finnish English Negative?

En syö omenaa tänään. I won’t eat an apple today. Negative Sentence
Syön omenan. I’m eating an apple. Positive Sentence
Saara ei avannut ikkunaa. Saara didn’t open the window. Negative Sentence
 Sami avasi ikkunan. Sami opened the window. Positive Sentence

3.1.2. Partitive Verbs

If the verb in your sentence is a partitive verb, you will put your object in the partitive case.
This is true for both affirmative and negative sentences.
Finnish English Why?
Minä rakastan tätä taloa. I love this house. Partitive verb: rakastaa
Object verb: ostaa
Minä ostan tämän talon. I buy this house.
Liisa vihaa tietokonetta. Liisa hates the computer. Partitive verb: vihata
Liisa käynnistää tietokoneen. Liisa turns the computer on. Object verb: käynnistää

3.1.3. Countable vs. Uncountable Objects

If your sentence is a) affirmative and b) has an object verb, you will use the genitive for
objects you can count (a cup, a chair, a glass or an apple). If the object is an uncountable
(wine, cheese, rice or milk), you will use the partitive. Object verbs are for example: avata,
sulkea, käynnistää, sammuttaa, ottaa, myydä, laittaa, antaa, syödä, juoda, ostaa, nostaa,
and maalata.
For negative sentences refer to 3.1.1. and for partitive verbs refer to 3.1.2. — Eg. Me syömme
pihvin vs Me emme syö pihviä.
Finnish English Why?
Uncountable: you drink SOME
Me juomme viiniä. We are drinking wine. wine
Me juomme We are drinking a cup of
kupin kahvia. coffee. Countable: you can count cups
Uncountable: she eats SOME
Nainen syö juustoa. The woman eats cheese. cheese
Countable: you can count
Antti syö pihvin. Antti eats a steak. steaks

Read more about uncountable objects in these articles:

 Food: when is it countable and when uncountable?

 Overview of types of uncountable nouns (e.g. liquids and substances)

3.1.4. Abstract Objects

When an abstract noun is the object of your sentence, you will use the partitive case both in
affirmative and negative sentences. To learn about these in more detail, read about abstract
nouns here.

Finnish English Why?

Tarvitset rakkautta. You need love. Abstract
Tarvitset sydämen. You need a heart. Concrete
Tarvitsen unta. I need sleep. Abstract
Tarvitsen sängyn. I need a bed. Concrete

3.1.5. Currently Happening vs. Intention

In a) an affirmative sentence with b) a countable noun, you will use the genitive when the
sentence is referring to an intent to finish something, and the partitive when the action is
currently happening.
Finnish English Why?
I’m reading a/the
Luen kirjaa. book. Not completed: currently happening
Completed: intent is to finish the whole
Luen kirjan. I will read the book. book
Katsomme We’re watching a
elokuvaa. movie. Not completed: currently happening
Katsomme We will watch the Completed: intent is to watch the whole
elokuvan. movie. movie
3.2. Genitive vs. Nominative
According to the old rule, a total object that looks like a genitive or a nominative, are both
called the accusative (see 2.3.). However, we will not use that term “accusative”, as explained
in 2.3.

In some sentence types where you would expect the object to look like a genitive (“Ostan
auton”), the nominative (the basic form) trumps the genitive (“Osta auto!”). Let’s look at
those situations below!

3.2.1. The Object of an Imperative Sentence

In imperative sentences, you will remove the -n from the object. If the object is a personal
pronoun, it will appear in the accusative case no matter what.

Genitive Imperative Type of Imperative

Minä ostin auton. Osta auto! “Buy the car!” Singular imperative
Me avaamme oven. Avatkaa ovi! “Open the door!” Plural imperative
Sinä muistat ystävän. Muista ystävä! “Remember the friend!” Singular imperative
Sinä muistat hänet. Muista hänet! “Remember him!” Singular imperative

3.2.2. The Object of a Necessity Sentence

There is a whole range of ways to express necessity. They all have in common that their
object will not appear in the genitive. The accusative case (used for personal pronouns) will
keep its case.
Genitive Necessity
Minä ostin auton. Minun täytyy ostaa auto.
Me avaamme oven. Meidän on pakko avata ovi.
Sinä myyt tietokoneen. Sinun on myytävä tietokone.
Antti ottaa lasin. Antin kannattaa ottaa lasi.
Sinä unohdat miehen. Sinun pitää unohtaa mies.
Sinä unohdat hänet. Sinun pitää unohtaa hänet.

3.2.3. The Object of a Passive Sentence

Passive sentences will also come with an object that looks like the nominative. A regular
sentence with a genitive object will lose the genitive as soon as you change the verb to a
passive form. You can learn more about the present passive, the past passive and the passive
conditional elsewhere. If you’re dealing with a personal pronoun (e.g. sinut), you will
retain the accusative case.

Genitive Passive
Minä ostin auton. Me ostettiin auto.
Me avaisimme oven. Ovi avattaisiin.
Sinä myyt tietokoneen. Myydään tietokone!
Antti ottaa lasin. Baarissa otetaan lasi.
Muistan opettajan. Opettaja muistetaan.
Muistan sinut. Sinut muistetaan.

3.3. Plural Partitive vs. Plural Nominative

When your object is a plural, you have two cases to choose from: the plural
partitive (omenoita) and the plural nominative (omenat). Luckily, the base rule is fairly easy:
you use the T-plural when you’re talking about all the things and the partitive plural when
you’re talking about many but not all.
In some cases you can also use the T-plural to refer to a plural subject you were talking about
earlier. Eg. “Ostan kaupasta vaatteet.” usually doesn’t mean that you buy ALL the clothes in
the store, but rather that you buy the clothes you were talking about earlier.

One other trick to figure out which one of the two you should use: the T-plural will usually
have “the” in front of the object when translated to English.

Finnish English
Syön omenat. I eat (all) the apples.
Syön omenoita. I eat (several) apples.
Siirrän tietokoneet varastoon. I move (all) the computers to the storehouse.
Siirrän tietokoneita varastoon. I move (several) computers to the storehouse.
Tässä kaupassa myydään
puhelimia. In this store they sell phones.
Tässä kaupassa myydään In this store they sell the phones (we talked about
puhelimet. before).
Ostan kaupasta T-paitoja. I buy T-shirts from the store.
Ostan kaupasta T-paidat. I buy the T-shirts from the store.
I have a separate article which goes over the different ways to use the T-plural and the plural
partitive. That page doesn’t focus on object sentences. Rather, it gives a broader view of the
usage of both cases.

4. There is more…
Once you’re familiar with the object rules in this article, you could move on to my article
on the object for advanced learners. Please note that the article in question is really long and
definitely not meant to be studied in one go with the content of this article. They’re different
levels of the same topic.
PS: Finteresting.net used to have a really helpful flow chart to help you figure out what case
to use for the object. Unfortunately that website is no longer available but I salvaged their
image.

Understanding Grammatical Objects

 1. Definition of Grammatical Object:
o A grammatical object is the entity that the subject acts upon in a sentence. In
Finnish, the object can take various forms, and its position in the sentence
does not determine its role as it does in English.
2. Forms of Grammatical Objects:
o Partitive Object (-a/ä): Indicates an incomplete action or an unspecified
amount.
 Example: Mä syön pizzaa (I’m eating some pizza).
o Accusative Object (-n): Used for singular definite objects or when the action
is complete.
 Example: Mä söin pizzan (I ate the pizza).
o -t Plural Object: Used when the object is plural and definite.
 Example: Mä ostin kaljat (I bought the beers).
o Nominative (Basic Form): Used when the object is plural or in certain types
of commands or necessity clauses.
 Example: Mä kirjoitan raportit (I’m writing the reports).
3. Marking the Object:
o The presence of a grammatical object often necessitates an ending to
differentiate it from the subject, especially since Finnish has flexible word
order.
o In contrast, in English, the order of words (Subject-Verb-Object) indicates the
grammatical role of each word.
4. Choosing the Correct Object Form:
o Default Ending: The default form for an object is the -n ending if no other
rules apply.
o Precedence Rules:
 If a partitive object is warranted, it takes precedence over other forms.
 The context of the verb and the nature of the action dictate which form
to use.
5. Special Cases with Pronouns:
o Personal pronouns have specific forms when they act as objects.
 For instance:
 Mä näin sut (I saw you).
 Mä näin hänet (I saw her/him).
o The pronouns se and ne do not have a -t form.

Semantic Aspects of Objects

1. Telicity:
o The distinction between complete (telic) and incomplete (atelic) actions is
crucial.
o Telic Example: Mä söin pizzan (I ate the whole pizza) indicates a complete
action.
o Atelic Example: Mä söin pizzaa (I ate some pizza) implies an incomplete
action or an unspecified amount.
2. Social Context:
o The choice to use a partitive can also be influenced by social contexts, where
speakers may prefer it to make requests sound softer or more polite.
3. Number and Quantity:
o Objects that are plural can only take the partitive plural or the -t ending (not
the -n).
o For example, Mä ostan kolme (I’ll buy three) uses a number and has no
ending.
Recap of Key Points

 Forms of Objects: Remember that Finnish objects can take different forms
depending on the verb, the action’s completeness, and the context (partitive, -n, -t, or
nominative).
 Word Order Flexibility: The flexible word order in Finnish means that
understanding the function of words relies more on their endings than their positions.
 Pronouns and Specific Rules: Pay attention to how pronouns function as objects,
especially since they have unique endings that differ from other nouns.
 Importance of Context: The context of the sentence significantly affects which form
of the object is used.

Example Sentences for Practice

Here are some example sentences showcasing the different forms of objects:

1. Partitive:
o Mä ostin maitoa (I bought some milk).
2. Accusative:
o Mä söin omenan (I ate the apple).
3. -t Ending:
o Mä näen ne (I see them).
4. Nominative:
o Kirjoita raportit (Write the reports).

Conclusion

Understanding the grammatical objects in Finnish involves recognizing the forms they can
take, the context in which they are used, and how they relate to verbs. It may seem complex
initially, but with practice, it becomes clearer how to apply these rules in various sentences. If
you have any specific questions or need more examples, feel free to ask!

1. Object Forms in Greater Detail

Partitive Object (-a/ä)

 Usage: This form is used to express:

o Incompleteness: When the action does not imply completion.
o Indefiniteness: When referring to an unspecified amount.
 Examples:
o Mä juon kahvia (I’m drinking coffee—some coffee, not necessarily all).
o Mä tarvitsen apua (I need help—any amount of help).

Accusative Object (-n)

 Usage: This form indicates that the action is complete or the object is definite.
 Examples:
o Mä ostin lehden (I bought the newspaper—specifically the whole newspaper).
o Mä syön pastan (I’m eating the pasta—the whole dish).

-t Plural Object
  Usage: This form is used when the object is plural and definite.
 Examples:
o Mä ostin kukat (I bought the flowers—specific flowers).
o Mä syön omenat (I eat the apples—specific apples).

Nominative Object

 Usage: This is often seen in commands or when the object is plural.

 Examples:
o Kirjoita kirjeet (Write the letters).
o Osta omenoita (Buy apples).

2. Understanding Sentence Structure

 Flexible Word Order: Finnish allows different arrangements of words, which means
the subject-verb-object order isn’t rigid. For instance:
o Kissa syö hiiren (The cat eats the mouse).
o Hiiren syö kissa (The mouse is eaten by the cat)—the meaning remains clear
through endings.

3. Special Considerations for Pronouns

 Personal Pronouns:
o The forms of personal pronouns differ when used as objects, and this is crucial
for correct usage.
o Examples:
 Mä näen sinut (I see you).
 Mä kuulin hänet (I heard him/her).
 Impersonal Pronouns:
o The impersonal forms like se (it) and ne (they) also don’t change.
o Example:
 Mä näin sen (I saw it).

4. The Role of Context and Social Implications

 Politeness and Softening Requests:

o Using partitive forms can make requests sound softer or more polite.
o Example: Voinko saada vettä? (Can I have [some] water?) sounds less
demanding than Voinko saada veden? (Can I have the water?).

5. Verbs and Their Objects

 Different verbs require different forms of objects based on their aspect (complete or
incomplete). Here are some common verbs and their typical object forms:

Verb Example Sentence Object Form

Juoda (to drink) Mä juon mehua (I’m drinking juice). Partitive
Syödä (to eat) Mä söin pihvin (I ate the steak). Accusative
Ostaa (to buy) Mä ostin kirjat (I bought the books). -t Plural

6. Advanced Examples of Contextual Use

Partitive with Quantity

 Mä haluan vähän suolaa (I want a little salt) indicates that you don’t want all the salt,
just a portion.

Accusative with Actions of Completion

 Mä luin kirjan (I read the book) indicates that the action of reading the book is
complete.

Contextual Variations

 A simple sentence like Mä kuuntelen musiikkia (I’m listening to music) uses the
partitive to suggest that the music is not fully listened to; it’s an ongoing action.

7. Practical Exercises

To reinforce understanding, here are a few exercises you can try:

1. Identify the Object Forms:

o Write down the object forms for the following sentences:
 Mä ostin suklaata. (I bought chocolate.)
 Mä näin auton. (I saw the car.)
 Mä söin mansikoita. (I ate strawberries.)
2. Convert Sentences:
o Change the object forms in the following sentences:
 Mä näen lapsen. (I see the child.) → Convert to partitive.
 Mä syön omenan. (I eat the apple.) → Convert to plural.
3. Create Your Sentences:
o Use a mix of object forms in your sentences. For example:
 A sentence with a partitive object about a drink.
 A sentence with an accusative object about food.
 A command using a nominative object.

Conclusion

Understanding the different forms of grammatical objects in Finnish is essential for proper
communication and sentence construction. The distinction between partitive, accusative,
plural, and nominative objects, alongside the flexible word order, allows for a rich expression
in the language.

Practice using these forms in different contexts to strengthen your grasp of Finnish grammar.
If you have specific scenarios or sentences you’d like to discuss further, let me know!