The verbs in Finnish, as in other languages, are transitive or
intransitive, and have an active and passive voice. It is further to be
noticed that the negative verb is conjugated quite differently to the
affirmative.
The verb may be considered to have seven moods:—the indicative, the
concessive, the conditional, the optative, the imperative, the verbal
substantive, and the verbal adjective.
Before giving an example of the conjugation of a verb it will be well to
examine the formation of these moods and their various tenses. At first
only the simple tenses will be considered, that is to say those formed by
the addition of suffixes to a verbal root. The compound tenses are formed
by combining certain verbal forms with parts of the verb ‘to be.’
_Formation of the Moods and Tenses of an Affirmative Verb._
All parts of the finite verb, except the optative and imperative, mark
the person by the following terminations:—
_Sing._ _Plur._
1. =-n= 1. =-mme=
2. =-t= 2. =-tte=
3. (=-pi=, =-vi=) _or none_ 3. =-vat=, =-vät=
In ordinary Finnish the third person singular receives no termination,
but the final vowel of the root is lengthened in the present indicative,
if not already a long vowel or diphthong. Thus, the roots =anta=, =repi=,
=tuo= form the third person sing. present, =antaa=, =repii=, =tuo=. On
the same principle the third person sing. of the concessive ends in
=-nee=, the tense stem ending in =-ne=. In the imperfect and conditional
the tense stem is used unaltered.
Monosyllabic verbs sometimes receive the termination =-pi= in the third
person present, e.g. =saapi=, =tuopi= for =saa=, =tuo=. Another variety
of this termination is in =vi=, used very frequently in the Kalevala and
the Karelian dialect.
This termination =pi= or =vi= is obviously primitive and is akin to
the plur. =-vat= which has the plur. suffix =t=. It is found in all
the Baltic dialects in the form of =b=, =p=, or =v=, and sporadically
in Cheremissian, but not apparently in the other languages of the
Finno-Ugric group.
The _indicative_ mood has two simple tenses, the present (also used as a
future) and the imperfect.
The _present indicative_ has no tense terminations, and is formed by
adding the personal terminations to the root; the third sing. having
no termination, is of course the simple root, and always ends in a
double vowel or diphthong, except in the verb substantive =on=, _he is_.
Thus, taking the root =repi= and adding to it the present terminations
given above, we get for the present infinitive =revi-n= (by rule =35=),
=revi-t=, =repii=, =revi-mme=, =revi-tte=, =repi-vät=.
The stem of the _imperfect indicative_ is formed by adding to the root
the vowel =i=, before which the last vowel of the root is changed or
lost according to rules =3-9=, =14=, =21=. To the stem thus formed are
added the personal terminations. Thus on adding to the root =saa= the
termination =i=, we get =sai=, and this forms =sain=, =sait=, =sai=,
=saimme=, =saitte=, =saivat=. Similarly the root =tuo= with the suffix
=i= becomes =toi=, and the imperfect =toin=, =toit=, etc.; =antaa= forms
=antoi= (=annoin=, =31=, =annoit=, etc.).
The _concessive_ mood is formed by adding to the root the syllable
=-ne=, and then suffixing to this the personal terminations. It has
only one tense. Sometimes the suffix =-ne= becomes assimilated to the
preceding consonant. Root =saa=, conditional-stem =saane=; 1. =saanen=;
2. =saanet=; 3. =saanee=. 1. =saanemme=; 2. =saa-nette=; 3. =saanevat=.
But =nousne= becomes =nousse=; =noussen=, =nousset=, =noussee=, etc., the
shortened root of =nouse= being =nous=.
The _conditional_ has also only one simple tense formed by placing the
syllable =-isi= after the root and suffixing the personal terminations.
The final vowel of the root is lost or altered before the termination
=-isi= according to the rules given, but =a= and =ä= remain unchanged
except in monosyllabic verbs. Root =saa=, stem of conditional =saisi=;
1. =saisin=; 2. =saisit=; 3. =saisi=. 1. =saisimme=; 2. =saisitte=; 3.
=saisivat=.
This suffix =-isi= is perhaps akin to the formative suffix =-kse= (_v._
page 112).
The _imperative_ is characterized by the addition of =ka=, =kä= to the
stem, the only persons used being the second sing. and first and second
plur. The first person sing. is altogether wanting, and the third person
sing. and plur. are supplied by the optative.
The second person sing. is the root, but in a closed form. Thus the roots
=lyö=, =tako=, =otta=, =anta=, =pyrki=, =teke= form the imperatives
=lyö=, =tao= (=28=), =ota= (=30=), =anna= (=31=), =pyri= (=27=), =tee=
(=28=). This person had no doubt once the syllable =ka= (=kä=) suffixed,
which became reduced to =-k=, and thus closed the syllable. In dialects
are found such forms as =annak=, =otak=, clearly showing the origin of
the form.
The first and second persons plur. are formed by suffixing =kaamme=
(or =kämme=), and =kaatte= (or =kätte=) to the root. In the second
person the suffix =tte= is usually omitted, and the form ends simply in
=-kaa=. Thus from the roots above cited we have =lyökäämme=, =lyökää=;
=takokaamme=, =takokaa=; =ottakaamme=, =ottakaa=, =antakaamme=,
=antakaa=; =pyrkikäämme=, =pyrkikää=; =tehkäämme= (this root undergoes
special changes), =tehkää=.
The _optative_, which in some ways may be regarded as forming one
complete tense with the imperative, is characterized by the addition of
=ko=, =kö= to the root.
The second person sing. ends in =os= (e.g. =lukeos=, =antaos=),
apparently =ko= with the affix of the second person; =lukekos=, which
has perhaps lost a final vowel, becomes =lukeos= by rule =28=.
The third person sing. ends in =koon= for =kohon=, and the third plur. in
=koot= for =kohot=; =antakoon=, =antakoot=; =pyrkiköön=, =pyrkikööt=.
When owing to the loss of a vowel this =k= follows immediately after
=l=, =r=, or =n=, it becomes assimilated to those letters, =tullos= for
=tulkos=; =purros= for =purkos=; =mennös= for =menkös=.
The _infinitive_ in Finnish is a real substantive, that is to say, just
as from a verbal root can be derived, by the addition of suffixes,
forms expressing person, time, and modality, so by the addition of
other suffixes to the same root can be formed nouns, which can take the
ordinary case terminations and also the pronominal suffixes.
These infinitives are five in number. Their signification and use, which
constitute one of the great difficulties of the Finnish language, will be
explained in the Syntax.
I. The termination of the first infinitive is =-taʻ= (=-tä=), e.g.
=saada= (rule =32=); root =nous= (for =nouse=), =nousta=; root =tul=
(=tulee=), =tulla=. Between two simple vowels this =t= drops out and the
termination is simply =a= (=ä=); =sano-ta=, =sanoaʻ=; =repitä=, =repiä=.
N.B.—The syllable =ta= (=tä=) or =a= (=ä=) is closed with the aspiration.
This infinitive has only one case, the translative, which is used with
the personal suffixes, e.g. =juo=, _to drink_, =juo-da-kse-ni=, _for my
drinking_, =lukeaksesi=, _for thy reading_.
II. The stem of the second infinitive is formed by adding =-teʻ= to
the root, the syllable being closed. This =te= becomes =e= between
two simple vowels like the =ta= of the first infinitive. It has as a
rule only two cases, the inessive and instructive (though some verbs
have more), to which the personal suffixes can be added, e.g. =saa=,
=saade=, =saadessa=, =saadessani= (_in my receiving_); instructive
=saaden=. =Tule=, shortened root =tul=, infinitive II =tulle=, inessive
=tullessansa=, instructive =tullen=; =repi=, infinitive =repie=,
=repiessä=, =repien=.[10]
III. The third infinitive is formed by adding =ma= (=mä=) to the root.
There is nothing irregular in its formation or declension. It is used in
most of the cases of the sing., but only occasionally takes the personal
suffixes, e.g. =sano=, infinitive III =sanoma=, genitive =sanoman=,
=sanomalla=, =sanomatta=, etc., exactly like a noun.
IV. The fourth infinitive is formed by adding =mise= to the root. It
has two cases, the nominative which ends in =minen=, and the partitive
in =mista=. =Sano=, =sanominen=, =sanomista=; =teke=, =tekeminen=,
=tekemistä=, =tekemistänsä=, etc.
V. The fifth infinitive, which is not much used except in poetry,
and may be regarded as a diminutive derived from infinitive III, is
formed by adding =maise= to the root. It is used only in the adessive
plural, and always with a personal suffix. =Nouse=, _to rise_,
=nouse-mais-i-lla-nsa=; =tule=, =tulemaisillani=.
There are two _participles_ or verbal adjectives in Finnish. They are
simply adjectives formed from a verbal root by the addition of a suffix.
I. The first verbal adjective is formed by adding =va= (=vä=) to the
root. (Sometimes this suffix is found in the form of =pa=, =pä=.) The
adjective so formed is declined in the ordinary way.
II. The stem of the second participle is formed by adding =nehe=
(shortened =nee=) to the root. This termination (as explained p. 40)
becomes =nut= or =nyt= in the nominative, e.g. =oppi=, _to learn_,
=oppinehe=, nominative =oppinut=, genitive =oppinehen= (_or_ =neen=),
=oppineella=, etc., partitive, =oppinutta=, essive =oppineena= _or_
=oppinunna=, illative =oppineesen=, plur. =oppineet=, genitive
=oppinutten=, =oppineiden=, partitive =oppineita=, etc.
_The Passive._
All the forms of the finite passive verb in Finnish are _impersonal_,
e.g. =tuodaan= means ‘_people bring_,’ or ‘_there is a bringing_,’ in
French ‘on apporte;’ but there are no personal forms like the Latin or
Greek passives.
The root of the passive is formed by adding =ta= or =tä= to the verb. The
same changes are made as for the infinitive I active; but,
A. If the =t= of the passive termination comes between two simple vowels
it is doubled, e.g. =leipo=, =leivotta= (=35=).
B. Simple =a= and =ä= become =e= before the =t=, which is then doubled,
=kaiva=, =kaivetta=; =heittä=, =heitettä=.
The root thus formed receives a termination analogous to the illative,
that is to say =h—n= with the same vowel between them as precedes the
=h=. In the passive the =h= drops out, and the =n= is preceded by a long
vowel. The syllable =ta= in the present is closed with the aspiration.
For instance:—=Saa= makes =saadaan=, that is =saa + ta’ + han=, the
=h= dropping out and the =t= being softened; =syö=, =syödään= for
=syö-tä’-hän=. So too =sido=, =sidotta=, =sidotahan=, which becomes
=sidotaan=; =mene= (which is shortened to =men=) becomes =mennään=;
=kaiva=, =kaivetta=, =kaivetaan=. It is to be noticed that in verbs
ending in a long vowel or diphthong, the passive present has the form
=daan=, the =t= being softened. But where the =t= is doubled after a
short vowel the present passive ends in =taan=.
The _imperfect_ tense is formed as in the active by adding =i= to the
stem, but the consonants are not softened, because the syllable =ti=
does not end with the aspiration, e.g. the present passive is formed by
adding =taʻ= (with the aspiration) to the root: =saa-taʻ= which becomes
=saada=, and then with the termination =saadaan=. But the imperfect has
the stem =saati=, which gives =saatiin=. So we have root =sido=, present
=sidotaan=, but imperfect =sidottiin=; =repi=, present =revitään=,
imperfect =revittiin=; =tule= (shortened =tul=), present =tullaan=,
imperfect =tultiin=.
The _concessive_ passive is formed by adding to the passive root in
=ta=, the modal termination =ne=, and the usual suffix, =saata + ne +
hen= = =saataneen=. The consonants are not weakened, e.g. =tultaneen=,
=sidottaneen=. The final =n= is frequently omitted, e.g. =saatanee=.
The _conditional_ is formed by placing =isi= after the syllable =ta=, and
suffixing the termination =hin= =saata + isi + hin=; =saataisiin=; =tul=
(=tule=), =tulta=, =tultaisiin=.
In the _optative_ the termination =ko= is added between =ta= and the
suffix =hon=, =saata-ko-hon=, =saatakoon=.
The _imperative_ is not used.
Theoretically of course all the five _infinitives_ can be formed for
the passive as well as the active verb, but practically only two are
ever used: (_a_) The inessive sing. of the infinitive II. The root is of
the form =saatate=, which becomes =saatae=, and we have such forms as
=saataessa=, =noustaessa=. (_b_) The instructive of infinitive III formed
by adding =ma= to the root ending in =ta= and suffixing =n=, =saataman=,
=luvattaman=.[11]
There are two _participles_.
I. Formed as in the active by adding =va= or =vä= after =ta=, =tä=;
=saatava=, =revittävä=.
II. Formed by adding =u= or =y= after =ta= or =tä=, before which vowels
=a=, =ä= always fall out; =saata + u=, =saatu=; =revittä + y=, =revitty=.
_The Negative Conjugation._
The conjugation of the negative verb is entirely different from that of
the positive.
In Finnish there is no word exactly corresponding to the English words
‘not,’ ‘no.’ Instead there is a negative verb, consisting of a root
combined with the personal terminations, and which may be literally
translated ‘not I,’ ‘not thou,’ ‘not it,’ etc.
The root of this verb in the present is =e= or =ei=, and it is conjugated
as below.
_Sing._ _Plur._
1. =en= =emme=
2. =et= =ette=
3. =ei= =eivät=
The forms for the imperative are formed from the root =äl= or =el=.
_Sing._ _Plur._
1. —— =älkäämme=, =elkäämme=
2. =älä=, =elä= =älkäätte=, =elkäätte=,
_or_ =älkää=, =elkää=
The optative is formed similarly.
_Sing._ _Plur._
2. =ällös= _or_ =ellös= ——
3. =älköön= _or_ =elköön= =älkööt= _or_ =elkööt=
There is also a form used in dubitative or conditional sentences.
_Sing._ _Plur._
1. =ellen= =ellemme=
2. =ellet= =ellette=
3. =ellei= =elleivät=
This form is used in composition with the present or conditional: =minä
tulen, ellei paha ilma estä=, _I will come if the bad weather does not
stop me_. =Elleivät olisi kotona=, _in case they are not at home_.
The negative _present_ of an active verb is formed by prefixing this verb
to the root, _which is always closed by the aspiration_.
Root =tuo=, _to bring_.
_Sing._ _Plur._
=en tuo=, _I do not bring_ =emme tuo=, _we do not bring_
=et tuo=, _thou dost not bring_ =ette tuo=, _ye do not bring_
=ei tuo=, _he does not bring_ =eivät tuo=, _they do not bring_