The Finnish enclitic particle pa (or pä)

I just found this post in my draft folder. Olipa kiva yllätys! - What a nice surprise!

Translating pa or pä is kind of tricky. I hope that these examples help you to understand how it's used and what it expresses. Just like kin, you can use this enclitic participle only once in a sentence. Pa or pä is usually added to the first word of the sentence.

If you have Leila White's Grammar book of Finnish, you'll find more examples of this and other enclitic particles in the end of the book.   

A surprise or an emphasis

• Onpa komeat viikset! - Such a handsome mustache!
• Lauloitpa sinä hyvin! - Oh how well you sung!
• Onpa teillä kiva koti. - Such a nice home you have.
• Olipa kiva päivä! - What a nice day it was!
• Tulipa siitä hieno kakku! - Wow, that cake turned out fancy!
• Minäpä soitan nyt isoäidille. - Well, I'm going to call grandma now. 
• Mepä syötiin jo! - We ate already!
• Mikkopa lähtee vaihto-oppilaaksi. - Well, Mikko is going to be an exchange student.

A mild command (Notice how the pronunciation of p doubles in the singular imperative forms.)

• Syöpä nyt reippaasti! - Why don't you eat cheerily now! [syöppä]
• Puepa sukat jalkaan! - Why don't you get the socks on! [pueppa]
• Istupa tähän joulupukin syliin. - Why don't you sit here on the Santa Claus' lap. [istuppa]
• Tulkaapa pojat tänne! - Why don't you boys come here! 
• Kertokaapa, mistä te saitte nuo. - Why don't you tell where you got those.

Disagreeing, child-like arguing

• (Minä istun tässä.) Minäpä! - (I'll sit here.) No, I will!
• (Tämä oli minulla ensin.) Eipä ollut! - (I had this first.) No you didn't!
• (Miksi sinä et siivonnut?)  Siivosinpa!! - (Why didn't you clean up?) Yes I did!

A wish

• Olisipa jo huominen! - I wish it was tomorrow already!
• Sataisipa jo lunta! - I wish it would snow already!

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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.  

How to use '-kin', '-kaan' and '-kään' in Finnish

The enclitic particle kin means too, also. You can add it to almost any word, but notice how the meaning  of the sentence changes:

• Minä juon kahvia. - I'll drink some coffee.
• Minäkin juon kahvia. - Me too, I'll also drink some coffee.
• Minä juon kahviakin. - I will drink also coffee. (In addition to something else.)

When added to a verb, kin can mean a small surprise or a change of mind:

• Minä juon teetä. Ei, minä juonkin kahvia! - I'll drink some tea. No, I'll drink some coffee instead!
• (Update in 2023: I started to edit this post a little bit, but I run out of time and also realised that Uusi kielemme has this great post about the topic, so I'll just add it here now and continue with this later: https://uusikielemme.fi/finnish-grammar/syntax/liitepartikkelit/kin-kaan-liitepartikkeli-clitic-minakin-minakaan. Also Leila White's grammar book is a great source for examples: https://finnlectura.fi/oppimateriaalit/suomi-toisena-kielena/a-grammar-book-of-finnish/ ) 

In negative sentences, use kaan or kään according to the rules of vowel harmony.

• Minä en juo teetä. - I don't drink tea.  
• Minäkään en juo teetä. - Me neither, I don't drink tea. 
• Minä en juo kahvia enkä juo teetäkään. - I don't coffee and I don't drink tea either.
• Minä juon teetä. Tai ei, minä en juokaan teetä. - I'll drink some tea. Or no, I won't drink any tea after all. 

In case you wonder about the future and present tenses:

• Minä juon nyt teetä. - I'm drinking tea now. 
• Minä juon teetä. - I drink tea. (In general)
• Minä juon teetä. - I'll drink tea. 

Notice that you can also express frustration with kin:

• Oli tämäkin päivä! - What a (horrible) day this was!
• Tämäkin vielä! - This one, too! (These two little words can really ruin the mood! :))

Update 2025: Check out my Wordwall exercises about -kin, -kaan and -kään. 

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it. 
Kiitos, kun luit! Jos pidit postauksesta, voit jakaa sen eteenpäin.
– Hanna

Wondering in Finnish

I wonder if you know how to wonder in Finnish. The verb to wonder is ihmetellä, but it is not really used in this structure. Instead, you'll need the enclitic participle -han or -hän. If you want to emphasize the question, put a question mark in the end. If you're just hesitating,  you can leave it out.

• Mitähän kello on?  - I wonder what time it is. 
• Olikohan se humalassa? - I wonder if he was drunk.
• Sataakohan juhannuksena lunta.. - I wonder if it will snow on Midsummer.. 
• Onkohan meillä munia? - I wonder if we have eggs.
• More about -han: Check out this excellent post by Uusi kielemme.

To add extra hesitation and wondering, add ko or kö after the question word.

• Mitäköhän kello on? - I wonder what time it is?
• Minneköhän se meni? - I wonder where he went.

My son (who was 5 when I first wrote this) doesn't really get these kinds of questions, and quite often gives me an irritated answer when I'm not expecting him to say anything. 

• Mitäköhän mä laittaisin tänään päälle. - I wonder what I would wear today.
• Missäköhän mun sukat on. - I wonder where my socks are. 
• Onkohan siellä kylmä. - I wonder if it's cold out there.
• En minä tiedä!! - I don't know!!

Here are some sentences with ihmetellä: 

• Mitä sinä ihmettelet? - What are you wondering about?
• Mä ihmettelen tätä puhelinlaskua. - I'm astonished by this phone bill. 
• Mä ihmettelin sen käytöstä. - I found his behaviour odd. 
• Älkää enää ihmetelkö sitä. - Don't spend your time on it any more. 

p.s. Ihme is a miracle. In Finnish, the tv show MacGyver is naturally called Ihmemies.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it. 
Kiitos, kun luit! Jos pidit postauksesta, voit jakaa sen eteenpäin.
– Hanna