How to make the past tense? Basically, you just add an
i or
si after the verb stem, before the personal ending. All verb stems end with a vowel. Some vowels stay, some disappear and one turns into another vowel.
1. o, u and y stay:
- sanon > sanoin - I say. I said.
- puhun > puhuin - I speak. I spoke.
- kysyn > kysyin - I ask. I asked.
2. a, ä, e and i go away:
- ostan > ostin - I buy. I bought.
- heitän > heitin - I throw. I threw.
- menen > menin - I go. I went.
- tarvitsen > tarvitsin - I need. I needed.
- pakenen > pakenin - I escape. I escaped.
- tanssin = tanssin - I dance. I danced. (Yes, they are the same.)
3. Sometimes a becomes o:
4. With the verb type 2 verbs, the first vowel is dropped when you add i to the stem.
(
Käydä is an exception as
käyn becomes
kävin in the past tense.)
- syön > söin - I eat. I ate.
- juon > join - I drink. I drunk.
- vien > vein - I take away. I took away.
- saan > sain - I get. I got.
- pakkaan > pakkasin - I pack. I packed.
- haluan > halusin - I want. I wanted.
- tykkään > tykkäsin - I like. I liked.
- tiedän > tiesin - I know. I knew.
- ymmärrän > ymmärsin - I understand. I understood.
- lennän > lensin - I flow. I flew.
p.s. Notice that the third person singular has only one
i in the end. Sometimes people accidentally double the
i, but don't.
- hän lähtee > hän lähti - S/he leaves. S/he left.
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.