Understanding Finnish Verbs: Type 1 Conjugation
- Siiri Heiskanen
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Finnish verbs may look intimidating at first, but once you understand how they’re grouped, the system starts to feel surprisingly logical. One of the most common and straightforward categories is Verb Type 1. If you are learning Finnish, mastering this group will give you a strong foundation, because many everyday verbs belong to it.
What Is Finnish Verb Type 1?
Verb Type 1 includes verbs whose basic form (the infinitive) ends in two vowels:
-aa, -ää, -oa, -öä, -ua, -yä, -ea, -eä, -ia, and -iä.
A few examples:
puhua – to speak
antaa – to give
kirjoittaa – to write
sanoa – to say
tietää – to know
These verbs are especially beginner-friendly because their conjugation pattern is consistent and logical in the present tense. Keep in mind that you have to apply KPT rules (consonant gradation) when conjugating a verb.
How Type 1 Verbs Are Conjugated
To conjugate a Type 1 verb, you remove the final -a/-ä from the infinitive to get the stem, and then apply the personal endings.
Personal Endings for Type 1
minä: -n
sinä: -t
hän/se: a vowel (depends on the stem)
me: -mme
te: -tte
he/ne: -vat / -vät*
*The vowel harmony of the verb determines whether the ending uses a or ä.
Example: puhua (to speak)
Stem: puhu-
Person | Form |
minä | puhun |
sinä | puhut |
hän/se | puhuu |
me | puhumme |
te | puhutte |
he | puhuvat |
NB! The third-person singular (hän puhuu) gets a long vowel uu. The last vowel depends on the stem, e.g. kysyä — hän kysyy.
Why Verb Type 1 Matters
Because Verb Type 1 is the largest verb group in Finnish, learning its patterns gives you immediate access to a big portion of the language. It appears in common daily expressions, conversation, and written Finnish. Once you are comfortable with its structure, it becomes much easier to recognize the stem, apply endings, and build confidence as you move on to other verb types.
Download our free list of 50 Finnish Verbs (Type 1)!
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