Object or adverbial? (Finnish grammar is fun!)

The object in Finnish grammar can sometimes be confusing, because a clause element that feels like an object might actually be an adverbial.

 
Sentences with an object

These are object sentences. Notice the partitive in a negative sentence.

• Minä ymmärrän kysymyksen. - I understand the question.
• Minä en ymmärrä kysymystä. - I don't understand the question.

• Tarvitsen uuden laukun. - I need a new bag.
• En tarvitse uutta laukkua. - I don't need a new bag.

In Finnish grammar, the object can be in five different cases

• Kysyin hyvän kysymyksen. - I asked a good question.
• En muista kysymystä. - I don't remember the question.
• Kysy edes yksi kysymys! - Ask at least one question!
• Unohdin kaikki kysymykset. - I forgot all the questions.
• Opiskelijat kysyivät paljon kysymyksiä. - The students asked a lot of questions. 

(We also have an accusative, but not in these sentences.)

You can read more about the object cases in this post. 

Here's a list of very common object sentences. 

Sentences with an adverbial

Here comes the weird part: These are sentences with an adverbial, although in some other languages, they would be object sentences. Sometimes my students ask why the noun isn't in partitive although the sentence is negative.

• Minä vastaan kysymykseen. - I'll answer the question.
• Minä en vastaa kysymykseen. - I won't answer the question.

• Tykkään kahvista. - I like coffee.
• En tykkää kahvista. - I don't like coffee.

'Kysymykseen' and 'kahvista' can't be objects in Finnish, because they are in illative and elative cases, which is what the verbs 'vastata' and 'tykätä' require.

In short, if the verb has some kind of case government, the adverbial (which you might think is an object) remains in the same case even if the sentence is negative. 

I hope this was helpful, not more confusing. 

Uusi kielemme has wonderful lists about verbs that require the adverbials to be in a certain case:

• Location Case Verb Rections

It also has a list of the MA infinites that certain verbs require: 

• MA infinitive rections

And a list of so called partitive verbs: 

• Partitive verbs

Voit lukea suomeksi lisää objektista esimerkiksi täältä:

• Mikä on genetiivi, mikä akkusatiivi?
• Objekti - Suomea edistyneille

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.