Genetiivi - Genitive Case 📝 #
2025-11-30The genitive case expresses possession or relationship, similar to the possessive “’s” in English.
Formation #
For words ending in a consonant, add -n.
For words ending in a vowel, the formation depends on the word type (see noun declension patterns).
Personal Pronouns in Genitive #
| Nominative | Genitive | English |
|---|---|---|
| minä | minun | my |
| sinä | sinun | your |
| hän | hänen | his/her |
| me | meidän | our |
| te | teidän | your (plural) |
| he | heidän | their |
Usage Examples #
Possession #
- Minun kirja (my book)
- Sinun auto (your car)
- Hänen talo (his/her house)
Relationships #
- Tämän talon ovi (this house’s door)
- Suomen kieli (Finnish language / the language of Finland)
- Helsingin keskusta (Helsinki’s center)
Common Patterns #
With Postpositions #
Many postpositions require the genitive case:
- minun kanssa (with me)
- hänen luona (at his/her place)
- kirjan vieressä (next to the book)
Expressing “to have” #
Finnish uses genitive + olla to express possession:
- Minulla on auto. (I have a car. / Literally: At me is a car.)
- Sinulla on koira. (You have a dog.)