It is helpful to compare the use of the partitive with that of the nominative
(§25.3): these two cases are semantically complementary to each other.
The following rule concerns the use of the partitive as a subject and object
case.
Typical uses of the partitive are thus vet/tä ‘water’, valo/a ‘light’, rakkaut/ta
‘love’, tuole/j/a ‘chairs’, auto/j/a ‘cars’. The following rule concerns the
partitive subject.
The examples below are divided into two groups: divisible indefinite singular
words (indefiniste mass nouns), and divisible indefinite plural forms of words
that are non-divisible in the singular (i.e. indefinite plural count forms).
Purkissa on leipä/ä. There is (some) bread in the tin.
Pullossa on maito/a. There is (some) milk in the bottle.
Torille tuli kansa/a. People came to the market place.
Huoneessa on valo/a. There is (some) light in the room.
Kellariinkin valui vet/tä. (Some) water leaked into the cellar, too.
Suomessa on vielä puhdas/ta Finland still has clean air.
ilma/a.
Täällä tapahtuu kaikenlais/ta. ‘Here there happens everything
possible.’
(i.e. ‘All kinds of things happen here.’)
Kaikenlais/ta täällä tapahtuu. ‘Everything possible happens here.’
(‘All kinds of things happen here.’)
With divisible words the partitive expresses an indefinite, non-limited
quantity.
In sentences with a partitive subject
1 the subject is generally at the end of the sentence
2 the finite verb is always in the third person singular
(1) Divisible subjects expressing an indefinite quantity are in the
partitive singular (mass, abstract and collective words).
The partitive 83
Jääkaapissa on olut/ta. In the fridge there is (some) beer.
Olut/ta jääkaapissa on! There is (some) BEER in the fridge!
The sentences above should be compared with the following ones, wher the
subject expresses a definite (total) amount. These subjects are normally at the
beginning of the sentence.
Leipä on purkissa. The bread is in the tin.
Maito on pullossa. The milk is in the bottle.
Kansa tuli torille. The people came to the market place.
Vesi valui kellariin. The water leaked into the cellar.
Kulta löytyi Outokummusta. The gold was found at Outokumpu.
Kadulla on auto/j/a. There are cars in the street.
Liikkui huhu/j/a. There were (lit. ‘moved’) rumours
around.
Täällä on pien/i/ä laps/i/a. There are small children here.
Ihmis/i/ä kuolee joka päivä. (Some) people die every day.
Syntyi vaikeuks/i/a. Difficulties arose.
Minulla on mon/i/a ystäv/i/ä. I have many friends.
onko Kallella laps/i/a? Does Kalle have any children?
Sellais/i/a virhe/i/tä esiintyy Such mistakes occur often.
usein.
The corresponding ‘total’ subjects (usually, but not always, definite in
English) are in the nominative plural, and the finite verb then shows concord
of person with the subject.
Auto/t ovat kadulla. The cars are in the street.
Lapse/t ovat täällä. The children are here.
Ihmise/t kuolevat. People die (i.e. all people).
Laiva/t tulevat satamaan. The ships come to the harbour.
Vaikeude/t eivät tule yksin. Difficulties do not come singly (all,
not just some).
Kadulla ei ole auto/a. There is no car in the street.
Maassa ei ole hallitus/ta. The country has no government.
(2) Plural subject nouns (non-divisible in the singular expressing an
indefinite quantity) appear in the partitive plural.
(3) The partitive is used if the existence of the entity referred to by the
subject word is completely denied (i.e. in most negative sentences).
84 Finnish: An Essential Grammar
Minulla ei ole tieto/a siitä. I have no knowledge of it.
Koti/a ei enää ollut. Home was no longer.
Täällä ei ole yhtään tuttu/a. There is not a single person I know here.
Juna/a ei vielä näy. The train is not yet in sight (lit. ‘is not
seen’).
However, if for example the actual existence of something is not completely
denied but only its being in a particular place, the nominative is used.
Auto ei ole kadulla. The car is not in the street.
Hallitus ei ole Turussa. The government is not in Turku.
Juna ei ole asemalla. The train is not in the station.
The partitive can sometimes also be the subject case of non-divisible words,
in interrogative sentences expecting a negative answer.
onko teillä tä/tä kirja/a? Do you have this book?
Tuleeko hänestä lääkäri/ä? Will he really become a doctor?
(lit. ‘Will out of him come a doctor?’)
