In this article, you can find links to all the articles that deal with the different sentence types (lausetyypit) you can have in Finnish.

1. Peruslause — Tavallinen lause — Simple sentence

Simple sentences have at least a subject and a verb. The subject can either be mentioned in the sentence (e.g. minä) or be visible in the personal ending of the verb (e.g. opiskelen). The rest of the elements are optional: you could add e.g. an object, a location or a time.

2. Kysymyslause — Interrogative sentence

A kysymyslause (question sentence) usually starts with either an interrogative pronoun (e.g. missä, milloin, miksi) or with a verb with the -ko/kö suffix. We can make questions out of all the sentence types below of course. In general, linguists will not separate out question sentences as their own sentence type. However, as a learner of Finnish, doing so shows you the two types you will come across.

Interrogative Sentences

3. Objektilause — Object sentence

Sentences with an object technically belong to the previous group, but as a Finnish learner the object is important enough to also look at separately. Object sentences have a subject, a transitive verb and an object. The object can appear in the basic form, the singular or plural partitive, the singular genitive and the T-plural.

Object Sentences

4. Omistuslause — “Minulla on” lause — Possession sentence

Possessive sentences express that someone has something. They are formed using the -lla form of the person (the adessive case) and the verb olla (to be) in the third person singular. The thing someone has will typically by inflected in the singular or plural nominative (ie. the basic form and the T-plural), or in the singular or plural partitive case.

Minulla on – Possession Sentences

5. Eksistentiaalilause — Paikkalause — Existential sentence

Existential sentences express that something is somewhere. These sentences always START with the location in Finnish, while English sentences of this type will start with “there is” or “there are”. In Finnish, the verb will usually be inflected in the third person singular. The most typical verb is olla, but we can use verbs like ajaa and kävellä as well. The existential “subject” of the sentence most typically appears in the basic form (the singular nominative), the singular partitive or the plural partitive.

Existential Sentences

6. Verbi + verbi lause – Sentence with a verb chain

We have many sentences with verb chains. While these aren’t in the linguistic sense a “sentence type”, if you’re studying sentence type on a course or using a book, sentences like this will often be listed separately. There are several types of verb chains. Below are the three most common. I strongly recommend clicking the links to learn more!

6.1. Infinitive verb rections

6.2. Third infinitive verb rections

6.3. Fourth infinitive verb rections

7. Predikatiivilause — Complement sentence

A complement sentence (predikatiivilause or kopulalause) tells what (or what kind) the subject of the sentence is (or isn’t). The subject of the sentence will appear in the basic form or the T-plural only, regardless of whether the subject is abstract or not. The verb of the sentence is always “olla.” The complement (predikatiivi in Finnish) at the end of the sentence can be either a noun or an adjective.

Complement Sentences

8. Nessessiivilause — “Minun täytyy”-lause — Necessity sentence

Necessity sentences express that something MUST be done by someone. The subject of the sentence will usually appear at the beginning of the sentence, and it will be inflected in the genitive case.

Necessity sentences

9. On mentävä -lause — Necessity sentence with TAVA-participle

In addition to using täytyy, pitää, kannattaa and olla pakko (see the previous section), we can create necessity sentences using the TAVA-participle. Just like in regular necessity sentences, these express that something MUST be done by someone. The subject of the sentence will usually appear at the beginning of the sentence, and it will often be inflected in the genitive case.

On Mentävä Sentences

10. Muutos- ja tuloslause — Change and result sentence

The are two types of “change and result sentences”. One uses the elative case (-sta/stä) to mark the beginning stage of the change. In Finnish we call this a tuloslause. The other uses the translative case (-ksi) to mark the end result of the change. This is called a muutoslause in Finnish. This is a rarer sentence type, especially useful for more advanced learners of Finnish.

Change and Result Sentences

11. Nollapersoonalause — Generic sentence

This sentence type lacks a subject. This is something all the sentence types below have in common, though for different reasons. As the name implies, a nollapersoonalause (nolla “zero” + persoona “person” + lause “sentence, clause) doesn’t have a subject. It expresses that anyone could be doing the act; it applies to anyone. These sentences have the verb conjugated in the third person singular.

While nollapersoonalause is the preferred Finnish term for this sentence type, you can also call it geneerinen lause, just like the English “generic sentence”. In English, it’s common to use “you”, even though the subject is not one specific person that is being addressed.

Generic Sentences

12. On hauskaa -lause — “It’s fun to” sentences

Just like the previous one, this sentence type lacks a subject. Thus, we could classify this as another nollapersoonalause. This sentence type consists of the verb olla in the third person singular (on), an adjective (usually in its partitive form, e.g. hauskaa) and often a verb in its infinitive (uida). For example, the sentence On hauskaa uida means “it’s fun to swim”. There is, however, no “it” in the Finnish sentence – thus making it a sentence without a subject.

I don’t currently have an article about this sentence type yet, but I’m working on it!

13. Säälause — Weather sentence

Another type of sentence which lacks a subject. Weather sentences aren’t usually counted as a separate sentence type at all: they are just nollapersoonalauseita “zero person sentences”. However, it is beneficial for you to realize that these sentences also don’t have a subject in Finnish! You won’t use “it” in these sentences like you do in English. The verb is inflected in the third person singular.

Talking about the weather

That’s all for this overview of the Finnish sentence types – lausetyypit!

You can find a similar list here (with exercises!) if you want to get another overview.

Related posts:

The Finnish Object – Objekti Existential Sentences – Jossain on jotain Finnish Sentence Types Expressing Change: Tuloslause vs. Muutoslause Kysymyslause – Making Questions in Finnish – Lausetyypit