Adjectives Ending in -NUT/-NYT
In this article, we will take a look at how you can put adjectives ending in -NUT in the Finnish cases. We have other articles on words ending in a consonant, such as words ending in -tAr, -tOn and -As.
Below, you can first find out more about the difference between -NUT words depending on their function in the sentence. After that, there is a list of adjectives ending in -nut/-nyt. I’ve also included information about these words get inflected in the cases, with some example sentences of that as well.
Active Past Participles as Adjectives
“Hän on kuollut” can be translated as “he has died” or as “he is dead”. In the first translation, we’re dealing with a verb in the perfect tense (died). In the latter translation, we’re dealing with an adjective (dead). Yet, in Finnish, both look the same. So how do we know?
The difference between verbs in the perfect tense and lexicalized adjectives is not very large. However, there is a difference. VISK gives the following example, where the verb vanhentua is used both as part of the perfect tense (#1), and as an adjective (#2). We can tell that one is part of the tense and one is an adjective because of the form the verb is in.
- Miehet ovat vanhentuneet nopeasti. “The men have gotten older quickly.”
→ the verb is conjugated in the active past participle, and made plural (we use -nut/-nyt in the singular and -neet in the plural for the perfect tense).
- Mallit ovat vanhentuneita. “The models are outdated.”
→ the adjective is inflected in the plural partitive form, as is usually the case with the complement of a plural sentence.
In this article, we will just look at NUT-participles that have lexicalized. They function as adjectives, and can sometimes even be used as nouns.
- Tytöt olivat ahdistuneita. “The girls were anxious.”
- Ahdistuneet tytöt itkivät. “The anxious girls were crying.”
- Rakastin ahdistuneita tyttöjä. “I loved the anxious girls.”
- Ahdistuneet masentuvat helposti. “Those who are anxious easily get depressed.”
List of Words Ending in -nut/-nyt
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| ahdistunut | anxious |
| helpottunut | relieved |
| hermostunut | nervous |
| hienostunut | sophisticated |
| huolestunut | worried |
| huvittunut | amused |
| häiriintynyt | deranged |
| hämmentynyt | bewildered |
| hämmästynyt | amazed |
| innostunut | excited |
| kiinnostunut | interested |
| kuollut | dead |
| loukkaantunut | offended |
| masentunut | depressed |
| nolostunut | embarrassed |
| nöyryyttänyt | humiliated |
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| pelästynyt | frightened |
| pettynyt | disappointed |
| päihtynyt | intoxicated |
| rakastunut | in love |
| sivistynyt | civilized |
| suuttunut | angry, indignant |
| säikähtänyt | frightened |
| tyrmistynyt | baffled |
| uupunut | exhausted |
| väsynyt | tired |
| ylirasittunut | overworked |
| yllättynyt | surprised |
| ällistynyt | taken aback |
| ärsyyntynyt | displeased |
The Inflection of Words Ending in -NUT
In the singular cases, -nut/-nyt will be replaced with -nee- before the case ending. The partitive case is the exception: add -ta/-tä to the basic form of the word.
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | väsynyt | väsyneet |
| Partitive | väsynyttä | väsyneitä |
| Genitive | väsyneen | väsyneiden |
| Missä | väsyneessä | väsyneissä |
| Mistä | väsyneestä | väsyneistä |
| Mihin | väsyneeseen | väsyneisiin |
| Millä | väsyneellä | väsyneillä |
| Miltä | väsyneeltä | väsyneiltä |
| Mille | väsyneelle | väsyneille |
| Translative | väsyneeksi | väsyneiksi |
| Essive | väsyneenä | väsyneinä |
Example Sentences
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| Me olemme väsyneitä. | We are tired. |
| Väsynyt mies ei tarvitse minua. | The tired man doesn’t need me. |
| Väsyneet vauvat itkevät. | The tired babies are crying. |
| Silitän väsynyttä koiraa. | I pet the tired dog. |
| En auta väsyneitä äitejä. | I don’t have the tired moms. |
| Haen väsyneen lapsen päiväkodista. | I pick up a tired child from daycare. |
| Näytät tosi väsyneeltä. | You look really tired. |
| Näytätte tosi väsyneiltä. | You (plural) look really tired. |
| Älä huuda väsyneille lapsille! | Don’t yell at the tired children! |
| Annan halin väsyneelle tytölle. | I give a hug to the tired girl. |
| En tykkää siitä väsyneestä pojasta. | I dont like that tired boy. |
| En pidä niistä väsyneistä pojista. | I don’t like those tired boys. |
| Menin väsyneenä töihin. | I went to work tired. |
| Tunnen itseni väsyneeksi aamulla. | I feel tired in the morning. |
What is the difference between kiinnostanut vs kiinnostunut
Kiinnostanut comes from the verb kiinnostaa. It’s usually used in the present or past tense: Minua kiinnostaa historia. Minua kiinnosti historia. “I am/was interested in history”.
Historia on kiinnostanut minua likewise means “I have been interested in history”. It’s the perfect tense, expressing that the interest happened in the past and continues until the present and into the future.
Kiinostunut comes from the verb kiinnostua. It’s usually used as an adjective. Minä olen kiinnostunut historiasta. “I’m interested in historia” does not have that perfect tense meaning. It’s just a similar sentence to Minä olen ahkera.
I’ve been meaning to write a more in-depth article on this topic but I haven’t gotten around to it just yet.
So basically Minua on kiinnostanut historia & Historia on kiinnostanut minua, means the same thing.
Minua on kiinnostanut historia= I have been interested in history
Historia on kiinnostanut minua= History has interested me
Minua kiinnostaa historia= I am interested in history
Historia kiinnostaa minua= History interests me
Yeah, the word order doesn’t significantly change the meaning 🙂 The only difference is which part of the sentence contains the “new information”. In Finnish, neutral word order puts the information already known at the beginning of the sentence, and the new information at the end.
So: Either we were talking about history, and I now tell you that i’m interested in it (start the sentence with historia). Or we were talking about my hobbies and I now tell you that history is one of them (start the sentence with minua).