The second important group of sound alternations is the set of vowel changes
which often occur before certain endings beginning with -i. These endings
are:
In nominals In verbs
the plural -i- the past tense -i-
(sometimes -j-: see §26)
the superlative -in the conditional mood -isi
(of adjectives)
The vowel changes are often the same for all these endings, but there are also
some differences. Eight rules are given below. (Consonant gradation is
indicated by a prefixed ‘+’.)
(1) The short vowels -o, -ö, -u, -y (i.e. rounded vowels) do not change
before -i- endings.
Two important sound alternations 39
Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative
talo taloissa in the houses helppo helpoin easiest
pöllö pöllöille to the owls jörö jöröin crossest
katu +kaduilla on the streets hullu hulluin craziest
hylly hyllyissä in the shelves pidetty +pidetyin most liked
Basic form Past Conditional
sano- sanoi said sanoisi would say
löhö- löhöi lounged löhöisi would lounge
puhu- puhui spoke puhuisi would speak
pysähty- pysähtyi stopped pysähtyisi would stop
Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative
puu puita trees (part.) vapaa vapain most free
maa maissa in the countries vakaa vakain firmest
syy syiden of the reasons tervee- tervein healthiest
venee- veneistä out of the boats
perhee- perheissä in the families
Basic form Past Conditional
saa- sai got saisi would get
jää- jäi remained jäisi would remain
avaa- avasi opened avaisi would open
makaa- makasi lay (cf. §60) makaisi would lie
Basic form Plural
tie teillä on the roads (there are no adjectives)
tuo noissa in those
yö öitä nights (part.)
suo soista out of the marshes
työ töiden of the works
Basic form Past Conditional
vie- vei took veisi would take
juo- joi drank joisi would drink
syö- söi ate söisi would eat
tuo- toi brought toisi would bring
lyö- löi hit löisi would hit
(2) A long vowel shortens.
(3) The first vowel of the diphthongs ie, uo, yö is dropped.
40 Finnish: An Essential Grammar
Basic form Plural
hai ha/i/ssa in the sharks (there are no adjectives)
koi ko/i/ta moths (part.)
täi tä/i/den of the lice
Basic form Past Conditional
voi- vo/i could vo/isi would be able
ui- u/i swam u/isi would swim
nai- na/i married na/isi would marry
Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative
tuule- tuulia winds (part.) nuore- nuorin youngest
tule- tulia fires (part.) suure- suurin greatest
lapse- lapsilla ‘at’ the children uute- uusin newest
kiele- kielinä as languages
naise- naisille to the women
Basic form Past Conditional
tule- tuli came tulisi would come
mene- meni went menisi would go
ole- oli was olisi would be
hymyile- hymyili smiled hymyilisi would smile
teke- teki did tekisi would do
näke- näki saw näkisi would see
Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative
lasi laseissa in the glasses kiltti +kiltein nicest
tuoli tuoleilla on the chairs nätti +nätein prettiest
väri väreinä as colours
tunti +tunneilla in the lessons
(4) i is dropped in diphthongs ending in -i.
(5) Short e is always dropped.
(6) Short i changes to e before the plural and the superlative, but is
dropped before the past tense and the conditional.
Two important sound alternations 41
Basic form Past Conditional
salli- sall/i allowed sall/isi would allow
etsi- ets/i looked for ets/isi would look for
oppi- opp/i learned opp/isi would learn
vaati- vaat/i demanded vaat/isi would demand
Basic form Plural Basic form Superlative
päivä päiviä days (part.) syvä syvin deepest
ystävä ystävillä ‘at’ the friends ikävä ikävin dullest
seinä seinien of the walls kylmä kylmin coldest
kylä kyliin into the villages märkä +märin wettest
hedelmä hedelmiä fruit (part.) hämärä hämärin dimmest
Basic form Past Conditional
vetä- veti pulled vetäisi would pull
kestä- kesti lasted kestäisi would last
kiittä- kiitti thanked kiittäisi would thank
viettä- vietti spent viettäisi would spend
tietä- tiesi knew tietäisi would know
Contrary to this rule, in some three-syllable nouns -ä changes in the plural to
-ö, e.g. when the only vowel of the preceding syllable is i: kynttilä, kynttilö/
i/tä ‘candles (part.)’; tekijä, tekijö/i/tä ‘makers (part.)’; päärynä, päärynö/i/
ssä ‘in the pears’.
Basic form Conditional
anta- antaisi would give
otta- ottaisi would take
sata- sataisi would rain
muista- muistaisi would remember
alka- alkaisi would begin
(7) The vowel ä is dropped except in the conditional.
(8) The vowel a remains unchanged in the conditional and is dropped in
the superlative. In the plural and past tense of two-syllable words a
changes to o if the first vowel is a, e or i, but is dropped if the first
vowel is u or o.
42 Finnish: An Essential Grammar
Basic form Superlative
kova kovin hardest
vahva vahvin strongest
tarkka +tarkin most accurate
vanha vanhin oldest
matala matalin lowest
Basic form Plural Basic form Past
matka matkoilla on the journeys alka- alkoi began
kirja kirjoissa in the books anta- antoi gave
sana sanoilla with words sata- satoi rained
piha pihoilla in the yards kaata- kaatoi fell
herra herrojen of the masters raata- raatoi toiled
Basic form Plural Basic form Past
koira koirien of the dogs otta- otti took
poika poikien of the boys muista- muisti remembered
muna munia eggs (part.) osta- osti bought
kuuma kuumissa in the hot huuta- huusi shouted
In nouns with three or more syllables -a either changes to -o or is dropped;
sometimes both changes may be possible. The change to -o occurs in
particular when (a) the only vowel of the preceding syllable is i; (b) -a is
preceded by a short l, n or r; or (c) -a is preceded by two consonants.
(a) lukija lukijoiden of the readers
apina apinoilla ‘at’ the monkeys
pakina pakinoissa in the columns
vakoilija vakoilijoille to the spies
(b) omena omenoita apples (part.)
ikkuna ikkunoissa in the windows
tavara tavaroita things (part.)
kampela kampeloita flounders (part.)
(c) kirsikka +kirsikoihin into the cherries
vasikka +vasikoille to the calves
sanonta sanontojen of the expressions
jalusta jalustoilla on the pedestals
In the plural forms of other nouns of three or more syllables, and of nearly all
adjectives, and also in the past tense of verbs with three or more syllables, -a
is dropped.
kanava kanavissa in the canals
korkea korkeiden of the high
sanoma sanomia messages (part.)
ainoa ainoissa in the only
Two important sound alternations 43
vaikea vaikeita difficult (part.)
ihana ihania lovely (part.)
kamala kamalia frightful (part.)
matkusta- matkusti travelled
pohjusta- pohjusti founded
