Question Word Kumpi – “Which one?” – Kumpi? Kummat?
The question word kumpi is used to ask which of two options someone chooses. If there are more than two options, you will use the question word mikä instead. For example, if I have two pens, I could ask “Kumpi kynä on sinun, tämä vai tuo?” (Which pen is yours, this one or that one?), but if there are three pens, the question would be “Mikä näistä kynistä on sinun?” (Which of these pens is yours?).
The question word (interrogative pronoun) kumpi inflects in the Finnish cases, and which form to use will depend on the sentence. Below, I’m giving examples of each of the different forms.
1. Inflection of kumpi
The following table contains the singular and plural forms of the question word kumpi.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | kumpi | kummat |
| Partitive (mitä) | kumpaa | kumpia |
| Genitive (minkä) | kumman | kumpien |
| Inessive (missä) | kummassa | kummissa |
| Elative (mistä) | kummasta | kummista |
| Illative (S-mihin) | kumpaan | kumpiin |
| Adessive (millä) | kummalla | kummilla |
| Ablative (miltä) | kummalta | kummilta |
| Allative (mille) | kummalle | kummille |
| Essive (-nä) | kumpana | kumpina |
| Translative (-ksi) | kummaksi | kummiksi |
2. What can kumpi-sentences look like?
There are several ways to form kumpi-sentences:
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| Kumpi on sinun, tämä kynä vai tuo? | Which one is yours, this pen or that one? |
| Kumpi kynä on sinun, tämä vai tuo? |
Which pen is yours, this one or that one? |
| Kumpi näistä kynistä on sinun? | Which of these pens is yours? |
| Kumpi näistä kahdesta kynästä on sinun? |
Which of these two pens is yours? |
As seen in the examples above, we can use kumpi in a simple question. In addition, you can also use it in a subordinate clause. Note that the clause will end in a full stop if the main sentence is just a statement, while it will end in a question mark when the main sentence is a question as well.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| En tiedä, kumpi kynä on sinun. | I don’t know which pen is yours. |
| Tiedän, kumpi kynä on sinun. | I know which pen is yours. |
| Tietääkö hän, kumpi kynä on sinun? | Does he know which pen is yours? |
3. The nominative – Kumpi?
Let’s first look at some examples where kumpi is used in its basic form. Keep in mind that we are always considering a situation with only two options to choose from.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| [Kumpi kynä] on sinun, tämä vai tuo? | Which pen is yours, this or that one? |
| [Kumpi kirja] on suosikkisi näistä kahdesta? | Which book is your favorite of these two? |
| Kumpi lähtee ensin, raitiovaunu vai bussi? | Which one leaving first, the tram or the bus? |
| [Kumpi meistä] on vahvempi, sinä vai minä? | Which of us is stronger, you or I? |
| [Kumpi heistä] on oikeassa, opettaja vai äiti? | Which one of them is right, the teacher or the mother? |
| [Kumpi tytöistä] on nuorempi, Sari vai Mari? | Which of the girls is younger, Sari or Mari? |
| [Kumpi pojista] on vanhempi, Ari vai Kari? | Which of the boys is older, Ari or Kari? |
| Kumpi on tulossa, tyttö vai poika? | Which is it going to be, a girl or a boy? |
| Haluan tietää, kumpi on nopeampi, Ari vai Sari. | I want to know which one is faster, Ari or Sari. |
| Kerro, kumpi maistuu paremmalta! | Tell me, which one (of the two) tastes better! |
| Ari tiesi, kumpi tulisi ensin. | Ari knew which one (of the two) would come first. |
4. The partitive – Kumpaa?
The partitive case is used for many reasons. As such, the following sentences are diverse. The examples below include partitive verbs (#1) and some abstract or uncountable nouns such as vesi, maa, kahvi and tee (#2).
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Kumpaa tyttöä] hän rakastaa? | Which of the two girls does he love? |
| 1 | [Kumpaa ehdokasta] äänestit? | Which of the two candidates did you vote for? |
| 1 | Kumpaa sinä pelkäät, melua vai hiljaisuutta? | Which one are you afraid of, noise or silence? |
| 1 | Kumpaa käytät enemmän, öljyä vai voita? | Which do you use more, oil or butter? |
| 1 | En tiedä, [kumpaa meistä] opettaja tarkoitti. | I don’t know which one of us the teacher meant. |
| 1 | Päätä itse, kumpaa uskot. | Decide for yourself which one you believe. |
| 1 | [Kumpaa näistä kahdesta videopelistä] pelaisimme? | Which one of these two video games shall we play? |
| 2 | Kumpaa syöt mieluummin, riisiä vai pastaa? | Which one do you rather eat, rice or pasta? |
| 2 | Kumpaa haluat, kahvia vai teetä? | Which one do you want, coffee or tea? |
| 2 | Kumpaa on enemmän, vettä vai maata? | Which is there more of, water or land? |
4. Genitive – Kumman?
The genitive case is also a versatile case with many uses. Among the examples below, included are:
- Sentences where the genitive is used to express who owns or is in possession of something (#1)
- Total object sentences (#2)
- Sentences with a postposition (#3)
- Necessity sentences (#4)
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Kumman vuoro] on, sinun vai minun? | Whose turn is it, mine or yours? |
| 1 | [Kumman takki] tämä on, Arin vai Sarin? | Whose coat is this, Ari’s or Sari’s? |
| 1 | En tiedä, [kumman jalan kenkä] tämä on. | I don’t know which foot’s shoe this is. |
| 2 | [Kumman kynän] haluat, vihreän vai pinkin? | Which pen do you want, the green or the pink one? |
| 2 | Cappuccino vai latte, kumman valitset? | Cappuccino or a latte, which one do you choose? |
| 2 | [Kumman näistä kahdesta] he haluavat? | Which of these two do they want? |
| 2 | [Kumman polun] valitsit? | Which path did you choose? |
| 3 | [Kumman vanhemman luona] lapsi asuu? | At which parent’s place does the child live? |
| 3 | [Kumman tytön kanssa] Ari seurustelee? | Which of the girls is Ari dating? |
| 3 | [Kumman pojan takia] itket, Arin vai Ramin? | Over which boy are you crying, over Ari or Rami? |
| 3 | [Kumman puun takana] Ari piileskelee? | Behind which tree is Ari hiding? |
| 4 | Kumman pitää vastata, Arin vai Sarin? | Which one must reply, Ari or Sari? |
| 4 | [Kumman] pitää maksaa ateria, miehen vai naisen? | Who must pay for the meal, the man or the woman? |
| 4 | Kumman pitäisi pyytää anteeksi tässä tilanteessa? | Who should ask for forgiveness in this situation? |
| 4 | On epäselvää, [kumman autoilijan] tulisi väistää. | It’s unclear which driver should give way. |
5. Inessive – Kummassa?
The inessive case (S-mihin, -ssa/-ssä) is most commonly used to say something is inside something. We can use certain verbs for this such as asua, käydä, olla, and viettää aikaa. Typical for Finnish is also the use of the inessive to express two things are connected in a way where one doesn’t easily come loose from the other: like a sock being IN your foot, or a ring IN your finger. In English, you would use “on” in this context.
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Kummassa kaupassa] kävit, Salessa vai Lidlissä? | Which store did you go to, Sale or Lidl? |
| 1 | [Kummassa kerroksessa] asut, ekassa vai toisessa? | On which floor do you live, on the first or the second? |
| 1 | Kerro minulle kummassa näistä taloista Ari asuu! | Tell me in which of these (two) houses Ari lives! |
| 1 | [Kummassa huoneessa] vietät enemmän aikaa? | In which room (of the two) do you spend more time? |
| 1 | [Kummassa kaapissa] on lasit ja kummassa kuppeja? | In which cupboard are the glasses and in which one the cups? |
| 1 | Laki riippuu siitä, [kummassa osavaltiossa] asut. | The law depends on which of the two states you live in. |
| 1 | Kerro, [kummassa pelissä] oli enemmän väkivaltaa. | Tell me in which of the two games there was more violence. |
| 2 | Kerro, [kummassa jalassa] kipu tuntuu! | Tell me in which leg you feel the pain! |
| 2 | En muista, [kummassa sukassa] reikä oli. | I don’t remember which sock the hole was in. |
| 2 | [Kummassa ranteessa] pidät kelloa? | Which wrist do you wear the watch on? |
| 2 | En tiedä, [kummassa kädessä] pidetään lusikkaa. | I don’t know in which hand a spoon is held. |
6. Elative – Kummasta?
The elative case (S-mistä, Mistä? Kenestä? -sta/stä) most typically means “from, out of”. It’s also a common case used with certain verbs (#2). In addition, we can use it for “change and result” sentences, which express that something or something turns out or becomes something (#3).
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Kummasta ovesta] kuuluu mennä sisään? | From which door are you supposed to enter? |
| 1 | [Kummasta päästä] avaat banaanin? | From which end do you open a banana? |
| 1 | [Kummasta kädestä] verenpaine mitataan yleensä? | From which arm is blood pressure usually measured? |
| 2 | Kummasta luopuisit mieluummin, kahvista vai suklaasta? | Which one would you rather give up, coffee or chocolate? |
| 2 | [Kummasta väristä] pidät enemmän, vihreästä vai pinkistä? | Which color do you like more, green or pink? |
| 2 | Kerro, [kummasta paidasta] tykkäät enemmän! | Tell me, which of the two shirts you like more! |
| 2 | Kerro, kummasta pidät enemmän, Arista vai Ismosta! | Tell me who you like more, Ari or Ismo! |
| 3 | [Kummasta ehdokkaasta] tulee seuraava presidentti? | Which candidate will become the next president? |
| 3 | Tiedän, kummasta tuli seuraava presidentti. | I know which one became the next president. |
| 3 | Kummasta kakusta tuli mielestäsi parempi? | Which cake turned out better in your opinion? |
7. Illative – Kumpaan?
The illative case (S-mihin, Mihin? Keneen?) expresses movement into a location or in a direction. Typical verbs for this are laittaa (to put somewhere) and muuttaa (to move to). In addition, there are certain rection verbs that require the illative case: ihastua + S-mihin, käyttää rahaa + S-mihin.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| [Kumpaan laatikkoon] laitoit rahat, tähän vai tuohon? | Into which box did you put the money, this one or that? |
| [Kumpaan ranteeseen] laitat kellosi? | On which wrist do you put your watch? |
| [Kumpaan käsivarteen] sait koronarokotteen? | In which arm did you get the COVID vaccine? |
| En muista, [kumpaan suuntaan] ruuvi kiristyy. | I don’t remember in which direction the screw tightens. |
| Tiedätkö, [kumpaan suuntaan] maapallo pyörii? | Do you know which way the earth rotates? |
| Kumpaan muuttaisit mieluummin, Irakiin vai Iraniin? | Which would you rather move to, Iraq or Iran? |
| Kerro, [kumpaan poikaan] olet ihastunut, Ariin vai Kariin! | Tell me which boy you have a crush on, Ari or Kari! |
| Kumpaan käytät vähäiset rahat, vuokraan vai ruokaan? | On which do you spend the little money you have, rent or food? |
8. Adessive – Kummalla?
The adessive case (the L-missä, Millä? Kenellä? -lla/llä) can be translated as “on” or “at”, and is also used for possessive sentences.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| [Kummalla kadulla] hän asuu, tällä vai seuraavalla? | Which street does he live on, this one or the next? |
| En tiedä, [kummalla puolella] autoni bensatankki on. | I don’t know on which side my car’s gas tank is. |
| Tiedän, [kummalla puolella] tietä pitää ajaa Etelä-Afrikassa. | I know which side of the road to drive in South Africa. |
| [Kummalla kyljellä] nukut yleensä? | Which side do you usually sleep on? |
| [Kummalla puolella] sänkyä nukut? | Which side of the bed do you sleep on? |
| [Kummalla puolella] on kaasu ja kummalla kytkin? | On which side is the throttle and on which the clutch? |
| [Kummalla näistä autoista] olisi kivempi ajaa? | With which of these cars would it be nicer to drive? |
| [Kummalla silmällä] näet paremmin, oikealla vai vasemmalla? | With which eye do you see better, right or left? |
| [Kummalla kädellä] kirjoitat? | With which hand do you write? |
| Kummalla on enemmän faneja, Ronaldolla vai Messillä? | Who has more fans, Ronaldo or Messi? |
| [Kummalla meistä] on parempi keskiarvo? | Which of us has the better average? |
9. Ablative – Kummalta?
The ablative case (L-mistä, Miltä? Keneltä? -lta/ltä) is often translated as “from”, especially with “puolelta” (from which side) or when expressing something coming from a person. In addition, it’s also used with certain verb rections, such as percentional verbs.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| [Kummalta puolisolta] maksu peritään? | Which spouse is charged the fee? |
| [Kummalta vanhemmalta] geeni on peritty? | From which parent was the gene inherited? |
| [Kummalta puolelta] maalinteko on helpompaa? | Which side is it easier to score from? |
| [Kummalta puolelta] auton tulee ohittaa? | From which side should one pass a car? |
| En tiedä, [kummalta teistä kahdesta] kutsu tuli. | I don’t know from which of you two the invitation came. |
| [Kummalta kahdesta myyjästä] ostaisit käytetyn auton? | From which of the two salespeople would you buy a used car? |
| [Kummalta vanhemmalta] lapsi näyttää eniten? | Which parent does the child look like the most? |
| [Kummalta] hajuvesi tuoksuu, hunajalta vai mintulta? | Which does the perfume smell like, like honey or mint? |
10. Allative – Kummalle?
The allative case (L-mihin, -lle) can be used to answer the question “kenelle” (to whom), such as in the context of to which of the two children a toy was given (#1). It can also be used to express what location one is going to or what thing something is put onto (#2). “Kummalle puolelle” (onto which side) is also a useful phrase in many contexts (#3).
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Kummalle lapselle] annoit avaimen, tytölle vai pojalle? | Which child did you give the key to, the girl or the boy? |
| 1 | [Kummalle vanhemmalle] lapsilisiä maksetaan? | To which parent are child benefits paid? |
| 1 | Kummalle valehtelit, minulle vai äidillesi? | Who did you lie to, to me or to your mother? |
| 1 | En tiedä, [kummalle näistä pojista] antaisin tämän lahjan. | I don’t know which of these boys I’d give this present to. |
| 1 | Kummalle kysymys oli osoitettu, minulle vai Arille? | Who was the question addressed to, to me or Ari? |
| 2 | [Kummalle asemalle] menemme, juna- vai bussiasemalle? | To which station are we going, the train or bus station? |
| 2 | [Kummalle bussipysäkille] olet tulossa? Niitä on kaksi. | To which bus stop are you coming? There are two. |
| 2 | [Kummalle kadulle] käännyit, Kotikadulle vai Ratakadulle? | Which street did you turn to, Kotikatu or Ratakatu? |
| 2 | En tiedä, [kummalle näistä pöydistä] laitoit kirjan. | I don’t know which of these tables you put the book on. |
| 2 | [Kummalle tuolille] minun täytyy istuutua? | Which chair do I need to go sit on? |
| 3 | [Kummalle puolelle] Aasia asettuisi, EU:n vai Venäjän? | Which side would Asia take, the EU’s or Russia’s? |
| 3 | [Kummalle puolelle] lautasta aterimet kuuluvat? | On which side of the plate does the cutlery belong? |
11. Essive – Kumpana?
The essive case is used in some expressions of time (#1) and with some verb rections, such as pitää + partitive + essive (eg. Pidän sinua hyvänä ystävänä “I consider you a good friend). You can find some other verbs with an essive rection here in section 1.6.
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kumpana päivänä palaat, tiistaina vai torstaina? | On which day will you return, on Tuesday or Thursday? |
| 1 | Kumpana viikonloppuna tulet, tänä vai seuraavana? | Which weekend are you coming, this one or the next? |
| 1 | Päätä sinä, kumpana näistä päivistä pidetään vaalit! | You decide on which of these days we have the election! |
| 2 | En tiedä kumpana pidät minua, hulluna vai tyhmänä. | I don’t know which you consider me to be, crazy or stupid. |
| 2 | Kumpana Ari pitää itseään, säveltäjänä vai muusikkona? | Which does Ari consider himself to be, a composer or a musician? |
12. Translative – Kummaksi?
The translative case form of kumpi is used with some translative verb rections.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| Kummaksi opiskelet: kampaajaksi vai opettajaksi? | Which are you studying to become: a hairdresser or a teacher? |
| Kummaksi aiot kääntyä, ortodoksiksi vai katolilaiseksi? | Which one are you going to convert to, Orthodox or Catholic? |
| Kummaksi luulit Aria, lääkäriksi vai hoitajaksi? | Who did you think Ari was, a doctor or a nurse? |
| Kummaksi miestä yleensä kutsutaan: Raimoksi vai Ramiksi? | Which name is the man usually called by: Raimo or Rami? |
| Kummaksi Aria pitäisi kutsua, taiteilijaksi vai laulajaksi? | Which should Ari be called, an artist or a singer? |
13. Plural forms – Kummat? Kumpien?
I’ve compiled the plural forms into one table because it’s been pretty difficult to find suitable examples for these! Included in the table are:
- The plural nominative (T-monikko): kummat
- The plural genitive (monikon genetiivi): kumpien
- The plural elative (monikon S-mistä): kummista
- The plural adessive (monikon L-missä): kummilla
- The plural inessive (monikon S-missä): kummissa
- The plural partitive (monikon partitiivi): kumpia
| # | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kummat ottaisit, silmälasit vai piilolinssit? | Which would you take, glasses or contact lenses? |
| 1 | Kummat ensin, hyvät vai huonot uutiset? | Which first, the good or the bad news? |
| 1 | Kummat ovat älykkäämpiä, kissat vai koirat? | Which are smarter, cats or dogs? |
| 1 | Kummat voittivat, me vai hyttyset? | Who won, us or the mosquitoes? |
| 2 | Kumpien pierut haisevat pahemmalle, miesten vai naisten? | Whose farts smell worse: men’s or women’s? |
| 2 | Kumpien elämä on helpompaa, nuorten vai vanhusten? | Whose life is generally easier, the young or the elderly? |
| 3 | Kummista tykkäät enemmän, kissoista vai koirista? | Which do you like more, cats or dogs? |
| 4 | Kummilla on ollut vaikeampaa, lapsilla vai vanhemmilla? | Who has had it harder, the children or the parents? |
| 4 | Kummilla oli suurempi hätä, koirilla vai omistajilla? | Who was in more trouble, the dogs or the owners? |
| 5 | En tiedä, kummissa oli vika, miehissä vai naisissa. | I don’t know which one was at fault, the men or the women. |
| 6 | Kumpia ihailet enemmän, matemaatikkoja vai taiteilijoita? | Who do you admire more, mathematicians or artists? |
| 6 | Kumpia rakastat enemmän, omia lapsiasi vai vanhempiasi? | Who do you love more, your own children or your parents? |
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