Conjugating verbs is something that Finnish learners need to tackle very early on in their studies. At first glance, it can look really hard, especially if you’re a beginner and have just started wrapping your head around those personal endings. Just thinking about learning different tenses might make you feel, well, a little tense!

But there’s good news! The Finnish tenses are very similar to their English counterparts, so they should feel quite familiar. What’s even better: Most of the time you’ll be using only two of them. 

In this guide, we’ll take a quick look at the fundamentals of Finnish verb conjugation before focusing on tenses.  Are you excited to start talking about the past, the present, and the future in Finnish?

Table of Contents

1. Finnish Verb Conjugation Basics
2. Preesens (The Present Tense)
3. Talking About the Future in Finnish
4. Past Tenses
5. A Quick Conjugation and Auxiliary Verb Summary
6. Lopuksi

1. Finnish Verb Conjugation Basics

In a nutshell, verb conjugation is the act of making changes to a verb in order to convey who is doing the action, when the action is taking place, and even how the speaker feels about the action.

Tense is what we use to convey when an action is taking place. But before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s quickly review how to convey who is doing the action. In Finnish, the verb ending changes according to person. These personal endings are added to the stem of the verb.

The personal endings are -n (first singular), -t (second singular), -mme (first plural), -tte (second plural), and -vat/-vät (third plural). For the third singular, depending on the verb, we either use the stem of the word or duplicate the vowel at the end of the word. When using third person verbs, you must remember the vowel harmony.

Conjugating the verb puhua (“to speak”) in the present tense looks like this when the personal endings are added to the verb stem puhu-:

• Minä puhun. (“I speak.”)
• Sinä puhut. (“You speak.”)
• Hän puhuu. (“He/she speaks.”)
• Me puhumme. (“We speak.”)
• Te puhutte. (“You speak.”)
• He puhuvat. (“They speak.”)

Verbs with a personal ending are in the active voice. In other words, we know who is doing the action. In contrast, the passive voice is used in Finnish when it’s not known (or when it’s unimportant) who performs the action. The passive looks like this in the present tense:

• puhutaan (“is spoken”)

In this guide, we’ll stick to the active voice.

1 – How Many Tenses are Used in Finnish?

In Finnish, tenses are called aikamuodot (literally: “time forms”) and they modify a verb according to when the action takes place. There are four tenses in Finnish:

• Preesens (“Present”)
• Imperfekti (“Past”)
• Perfekti (“Perfect”)
• Pluskvamperfekti (“Past-perfect” or “Pluperfect”)

As you can see, there’s no future tense in the list above. We’ll talk more about this later in the ‘future’ section of this guide.

The most important tenses to learn are the present and the past. You can get by reasonably well in everyday conversations using just these two tenses.

Tense is all about the timing of actions.

2 – Grammatical Moods

When we conjugate verbs, we also need to take the mood into account. The mood concerns the speaker’s attitude toward the action. These are called tapaluokat in Finnish (literally: “manner classes”), and there are four:

• Indikatiivi (“Indicative”) is used when an action is considered factual.
• Imperatiivi (“Imperative”) is used when making requests and giving orders.
• Konditionaali (“Conditional”) is used when an action depends on a condition.
• Potentiaali (“Potential”) is used when an action is probable but not certain.

By far, the mood you’ll use most often is the indicative. It’s also the most straightforward of the four, because there’s no indicative mood marker to worry about! The potential, on the other hand, is very rarely used in standard Finnish and should not be a priority to learn.

3 – Simple Tenses & Compound Tenses

What do we mean by ‘simple’ and ‘compound’ tenses? Simple tenses require just a main verb, while a compound tense is formed with the help of an auxiliary verb. In Finnish, they’re known as apuverbit (literally: “help verbs”) and the two main ones are: olla (“to be”) and ei (the negative verb).

When forming compound tenses, the auxiliary verbs are conjugated:

Person	Olla – present	Olla – past	The negative verb
Minä (“I”)	Olen	Olin	En
Sinä (“You”)	Olet	Olit	Et
Hän (“He” / “She”)	On	Oli	Ei
Me (“We”)	Olemme	Olimme	Emme
Te (“You”)	Olette	Olitte	Ette
He (“They”)	Ovat	Olivat	Eivät

Let’s look at a few examples, using the verb puhua (“to speak”).

Simple tense (one verb):

• Minä puhun. (“I speak.”)
• Minä puhuin. (“I spoke.”)

Compound tense (auxiliary verb[s] + main verb):

• Minä olen puhunut. (“I have spoken.”)
• Minä olin puhunut. (“I had spoken.”)
• Minä en puhu. (“I don’t speak.”)
• Minä en puhunut. (“I didn’t speak.”)
• Minä en ole puhunut. (“I have not spoken.”)
• Minä en ollut puhunut. (“I had not spoken.”)

In this guide, we won’t delve any deeper into the use of the negative verb, but you can learn more about the negation of verbs on Wikiwand.

4 – Finnish Verb Types

One more important note before we move on to explore Finnish tenses! Finnish verbs are usually divided into six categories based on what the infinitive form of the verb looks like and how the verb behaves when it’s conjugated.

Type 1 is the most common verb type in Finnish, so we’ll stick to Type 1 verbs—ajaa (“to drive”) and ostaa (“to buy”)—in this guide to keep things simple. If you want to familiarize yourself with all the different Finnish verb types, take a look at a quick overview on Wikipedia.

• You can also learn more Finnish verbs on our 50 Most Common Verbs vocabulary list and study them in more detail on our Finnish Verbs page. 

2. Preesens (The Present Tense)

Preesens, or the Finnish present tense, is used just like the English present tense to talk about actions that are currently taking place as well as habitual actions.

1 – Present Tense, Indicative Mood

The indicative mood, as we’ve discussed, is used when we talk about actions that we consider factual.

Here are a few examples:

• Ajan autoa. (“I’m driving a car.”)
• Ajamme yleensä varovaisesti. (“We usually drive carefully.”)
• Ostan vain leipää tänään. (“I’m buying bread today.”)
• Ostamme luomuvihanneksia aina kun mahdollista. (“We buy organic vegetables whenever possible.”)

Note that there’s no visual difference in Finnish between “I drive” (English simple present) and “I’m driving” (English continuous present). Minä ajan can mean either.

Ajan autoa. (“I’m driving a car.”)

2 – Present Tense, Imperative Mood

You’ll recall that the imperative mood is about making requests, giving orders, and providing instructions.

For example:

• Aja hitaammin. (“Drive slower.” – 2^nd person singular)
• Ajakaa oikealla. (“Drive on the right.” – 2^nd person singular)
• Osta netistä, nouda myymälästä. (“Buy online, pick up from store.” – 2^nd person singular)
• Ostakaa liput ennakkoon. (“Buy tickets in advance.” – 2^nd person plural)

The singular imperative is formed by taking off the personal marker -n from the first person singular form of the verb. The plural imperative is formed by adding -kaa/-kää to the infinitive stem of the verb.

3 – Present Tense, Conditional Mood

To recap, the conditional is used to talk about things that could or would happen under certain circumstances. It can also be used to make a polite request and to express wishes or doubt.

• Ajaisin autoa, jos minulla olisi ajokortti. (“I would drive a car, if I had a driving license.”)
• Ajaisitko mieluummin Ferrarilla vai Porschella? (“Would you rather drive a Ferrari or a Porsche?”)
• Ostaisin kesämökin, jos olisin rikas. (“I would buy a summer cottage, if I were rich.”)
• Ostaisinko uuden mekon juhliin? (“I wonder if I should buy a new dress for the party?”)

The conditional marker is -isi-. Ajaisin (“I would drive”) is composed of aja (stem) + isi (conditional marker) + -n (personal ending).

4 – Present Tense, Potential Mood

The potential mood is rarely used, so we won’t linger on it here. However, if you’re curious, it looks like this:

• Ajanen kohta kotiin. (“I will probably drive home soon.”)
• Lasse ostanee asunnon Kertun kanssa. (“Lasse will probably buy an apartment with Kerttu.”)

In a conversation, it’s more natural to use the indicative mood and a word like varmaan or todennäköisesti (they both mean “probably”):

• Ajan varmaan kohta kotiin. (“I will probably drive home soon.”) 

5 – Time Phrases Used with the Present Tense

Let’s get more specific. Here’s a selection of time phrases that are commonly used with the present tense:

• Tänään (“Today”)
• Nyt (“Now”)
• Juuri nyt (“Right now”)
• Tällä hetkellä (“At this moment”)

These time phrases often appear in statements describing habitual actions:

• Joka päivä (“Everyday”)
• Yleensä (“Usually”)
• Usein (“Often”)
• Aina (“Always”)
• Joskus (“Sometimes”)
• Harvoin (“Seldom”)

For even more words and phrases you can use, head over to our vocabulary list of essential adverbs of frequency and time or learn how to talk about time in Finnish on our blog! 

3. Talking About the Future in Finnish

As mentioned previously, there’s no separate future tense in Finnish. Instead, the present tense is normally used for both. So how do you know if someone is talking about the present or the future?

1 – The Context

 Imagine that your friend says:

• Ostan Ronjalle kukkia.

This could mean:

• “I’m buying Ronja flowers.”
• “I buy Ronja flowers.”
• “I will buy Ronja flowers.”

You can often figure out the meaning from the context:

• Ostan Ronjalle kukkia. Luuletko, että hän pitäisi näistä ruusuista? (“I’m buying Ronja flowers. Do you think she would like these roses?”)
• Ostan Ronjalle kukkia vähintään kerran kuukaudessa. (“I buy Ronja flowers at least once a month.”)
• Ostan Ronjalle kukkia, jos hän suostuu lähtemään treffeille kanssani. (“I will buy Ronja flowers, if she agrees to go on a date with me.”)

2 – Time Phrases Used When Talking About the Future

We can also make it clear that we’re talking about the future by using time phrases. Common ones include:

• Huomenna (“Tomorrow”)
• Ylihuomenna (“The day after tomorrow”)
• Ensi viikolla (“Next week”)
• Ensi vuonna (“Next year”)
• Kuukauden päästä (“In a month’s time”)

4. Past Tenses

There are three past tenses in Finnish, so let’s take a closer look at each one.

1 – Imperfekti (The Simple Past Tense)

Imperfekti corresponds to the simple past tense in English. It’s the most commonly used past tense in everyday conversations. It describes actions that were completed at some point before the present moment.

For example:

• Ajoin autoa eilen ensimmäistä kertaa. (“I drove a car yesterday for the first time.”)
• He ajoivat kotiin sanomatta sanaakaan. (“They drove home without saying a word.”)
• Ostimme kaksi paitaa yhden hinnalla. (“We bought two shirts for the price of one.”)
• Petra osti värityskirjan hetken mielijohteesta. (“Petra bought a coloring book on the spur of the moment.”)

The marker for the past tense is usually -i-, though it can also appear as -oi- or -si-, depending on the verb.

Time Phrases Used When Talking About the Past

Common time phrases that are often used with the Finnish past tense include:

• Eilen (“Yesterday”)
• Toissapäivänä (“The day before yesterday”)
• Viikko sitten (“A week ago”)
• Viime vuonna (“Last year”)
• Vuonna 2000 (“In the year 2000”)

2 – Perfekti (The Perfect Tense)

Perfekti corresponds to the English perfect tense. It can describe actions that started in the past and are still happening, or actions that took place in the past but are still relevant to the present moment.

The Finnish perfect tense is a compound tense. It’s formed with the help of the auxiliary verb olla (“to be”), which is conjugated in the present tense, while the main verb takes the active past participle (also known as the NUT-participle) form.

 Examples:

• Risto on ajanut taksia työkseen kymmenen vuotta. (“Risto has been driving a taxi for a living for ten years.”)
• Olemme ostaneet vihanneksia ja leipää. Mitä muuta tarvitsemme? (“We have bought vegetables and bread. What else do we need?”)

In the first example, the action continues (Risto is still driving a taxi for a living). In the second example, the past (what was bought) is relevant to the present (what still needs to be bought).

3 – Pluskvamperfekti (The Past Perfect Tense)

Pluskvamperfekti corresponds to the English past perfect tense. The past perfect tense is usually paired with the past tense, conveying a relationship between two separate past actions.

The past perfect tense is also a compound tense. It’s formed by conjugating the auxiliary verb olla (“to be”) in the past tense, while the main verb takes the active past participle form again.

For example:

• Olin ajanut noin kolme tuntia, kun päätin pitää kahvitauon. (“I had driven for about three hours when I decided to have a coffee break.”)
• Reetta oli ostanut lipun ennakkoon, koska hän ei halunnut jonottaa. (“Reetta had bought a ticket in advance, because she didn’t want to queue.”)

5. A Quick Conjugation and Auxiliary Verb Summary

Finally, let’s look at those four tenses side by side for comparison. In this table, we’ve conjugated the verb ostaa (“to buy”). The verb is conjugated in the active voice and in the indicative mood.

Person	Tense
	Simple Tense		Compound Tense
	Present	Past	Perfect	Past perfect
Minä (“I”)	Ostan	Ostin	Olen ostanut	Olin ostanut
Sinä (“You”)	Ostat	Ostit	Olet ostanut	Olit ostanut
Hän (“He” / “She”)	Ostaa	Osti	On ostanut	Oli ostanut
Me (“We”)	Ostamme	Ostimme	Olemme ostaneet	Olimme ostaneet
Te (“You”)	Ostatte	Ostitte	Olette ostaneet	Olitte ostaneet
He (“They”)	Ostavat	Ostivat	Ovat ostaneet	Olivat ostaneet

If you’d like to see all the different ways you can conjugate ostaa at a glance, try out the handy Cooljugator.

6. Lopuksi

In this guide, we’ve discussed the many ways that Finnish verbs can be conjugated, with a focus on the four Finnish tenses (preesens, imperfekti, perfekti, and pluskvamperfekti). Were you surprised that there’s no future tense in Finnish?

If you’re a beginner, we recommend prioritizing the present tense and the past tense. It’s also a good idea to learn how to conjugate each verb type one at a time, starting with Type 1, which is the most common Finnish verb type. Once you’re comfortable with the basics, it’ll be easier to expand your conjugating skills! And if you’re further along in your Finnish studies, we’d love to hear about your experiences with Finnish tenses so far, especially if you have any good learning tips to share with the community!

Don’t forget that FinnishPod101 has plenty of free resources to help you at every stage of your learning journey. Our vocabulary lists come with audio recordings to help you with pronunciation, and our grammar section is the place to visit if you want to master the Finnish alphabet, for example! Furthermore, doors to our Premium PLUS subscription are always open, so get in touch if you think you could benefit from one-on-one coaching. Our experienced teachers are more than happy to help you with verb conjugation or any other aspect of Finnish that you’re struggling to grasp.

Happy learning!