Editing Colloquial Finnish (section)

== Verbs ==

=== Pronoun usage ===
Personal pronouns are used extensively in spoken Finnish whereas in formal forms the pronoun is often optional (indicated in brackets in this article). Furthermore, the pronouns themselves in spoken Finnish are different from those used in formal Finnish.

Personal pronouns {{lang|fi|mä}} and {{lang|fi|sä}} are used extensively in colloquial Finnish in place of {{lang|fi|minä}} and {{lang|fi|sinä}} ('I' and singular 'you'). The pronouns {{lang|fi|se}} and {{lang|fi|ne}}, which in the formal language are used only as non-human personal pronouns meaning ('it' and plural 'they'), are used in the spoken language as personal pronouns (which in the formal language would be {{lang|fi|hän}} ('he', 'she' and singular 'they') and {{lang|fi|he}} (plural 'they').

See the tables below for examples.

=== Verb forms ===
One striking difference between colloquial Finnish and formal Finnish is use of the passive form in the first person plural. Thus for example:

:{{lang|fi|Olemme Helsingissä}}  (formal language)
::{{lang|fi|Me ollaan Helsingissä}} (colloquial Finnish)
:::We're in Helsinki

Another is that the third person plural suffix {{lang|fi|-vat}} or {{lang|fi|-vät}} is not used in the spoken language; instead, the third person ''singular'' form is used with plural meaning being conveyed by the pronoun {{lang|fi|ne}} ({{lang|fi|they}})

Therefore, the full present-tense paradigm of {{lang|fi|puhua}} "to speak" in everyday speech is:

:{{lang|fi|mä puhun}} (spoken) &mdash; {{lang|fi|(minä) puhun}} (standard)
:{{lang|fi|sä puhut}} &mdash; {{lang|fi|(sinä) puhut}}
:{{lang|fi|se puhuu}} &mdash; {{lang|fi|hän puhuu}}
:{{lang|fi|me puhutaa(n)}} &mdash; {{lang|fi|(me) puhumme}}
:{{lang|fi|te puhutte}} &mdash; {{lang|fi|(te) puhutte}}
:{{lang|fi|ne puhuu}} &mdash; {{lang|fi|he puhuvat}}

Some<!--In fact all applicable verbs, but I'm uncertain if this observation is previously publish'd.--> ''e''-stem verbs have abbreviated (irregular) oblique forms, where {{IPA|/n/}} or {{IPA|/l/}} is elided. This class includes only four frequently used verbs. In Finnish, verbs have an infinitive form, marked with {{lang|fi|-ta}} and used in the infinitive, and an oblique form, which is used in personal forms. [[Consonant gradation]] and assimilation of the 't' in {{lang|fi|-ta}} may be applied. In the standard language, the correspondence between the two is always regular. In spoken language, some verbs have assimilated oblique forms, while retaining the regular infinitive:

{| class="wikitable"
! engl. !! I inf. !! oblique stem !! irreg. stem
|-
| be || {{lang|fi|olla}} || {{lang|fi|ole-}} || {{lang|fi|oo-}}
|-
| come || {{lang|fi|tulla}} || {{lang|fi|tule-}} || {{lang|fi|tuu-}}
|-
| go || {{lang|fi|mennä}} || {{lang|fi|mene-}} || {{lang|fi|mee-}}
|-
| put || {{lang|fi|panna}} || {{lang|fi|pane-}} || {{lang|fi|paa-}}
|}

For example, these forms, as such, are represented by the imperatives:
:{{lang|fi|Mene tai tule, mutta pane se ovi kiinni ja ole hiljaa}} (standard)
:{{lang|fi|Mee tai tuu, mut paa se ovi kii ja oo hiljaa.}} (word-by-word) "Go or come, but put the door closed and be quiet."
To demonstrate the use of the personal form, the reply is:
:{{lang|fi|Meen tai tuun, paan oven kii ja oon hiljaa}} ("I go or come, (I) put the door closed and (I) am quiet").
The infinitives are unchanged, as in:
:{{lang|fi|Mennä tai tulla, panna ovi kii ja olla hiljaa}} ("To go or to come, to put the door closed and to be quiet").
As are participles, despite their using the oblique stem:
:{{lang|fi|menevä tai tuleva, oven kii paneva ja hiljaa oleva}} ("Going or coming, door closed-putting and quiet-being").

The 't' at the end of participles ending {{lang|fi|-nut, -rut, -lut, -sut}} (or {{lang|fi|-nyt}} etc.)  is often dropped when no consonant follows, or replaced by [[gemination]] of the following consonant:

:{{lang|fi|minä en puhunut}} (formal)
::{{lang|fi|mä en puhunu}} (colloquial)
:::I didn't speak
but:

::{{lang|fi|mä en puhunu kenellekään}} (colloquial)
:::I didn't speak to anyone
is actually pronounced as if it were:

::{{lang|fi|mä en puhunuk kenellekkään}} (with examples of gemination)

In the formal language some pronouns are considered optional, but in spoken language the pronoun is usually enunciated but may be optional when answering questions (which puts the person in the proper context).

:{{lang|fi|Menemme Ouluun}} or {{lang|fi|Me menemme Ouluun}}  ("We are going to Oulu") (formal language)
:{{lang|fi|Me mennään Ouluun}} ("We are off to Oulu") (informal language)

In the latter example, dropping {{lang|fi|me}} would change the meaning from a statement to a suggestion:

:{{lang|fi|Mennään Ouluun}} ("Let's go to Oulu") (informal or spoken language suggestion)

Compare the conjugation of {{lang|fi|OLLA}} in the formal language (Table 1) and in the spoken or colloquial language (Table 2). Table 2 shows in highlights the areas where there are differences in the structures between formal and informal. Optional pronouns are in brackets. English equivalent is in Table 3.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="3"| || colspan="8" | TABLE 1  indicative mood of {{lang|fi|OLLA}} (to be) in the "formal" or "written" style
|-
! colspan="3" | active voice
! colspan="2" | present tense
! colspan="2" | imperfect
! colspan="2" | perfect
! colspan="2" | pluperfect
|-
! per. || no. || pron.
! affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative
|-
! 1st || rowspan="3" | sg.
| {{lang|fi|(minä)}} || {{lang|fi|olen}} || {{lang|fi|en ole}} || {{lang|fi|olin}} || {{lang|fi|en ollut}} || {{lang|fi|olen ollut}} || {{lang|fi|en ole ollut}} || {{lang|fi|olin ollut}} || {{lang|fi|en ollut ollut }}
|-
! 2nd
| {{lang|fi|(sinä)}} || {{lang|fi|olet}} || {{lang|fi|et ole}} || {{lang|fi|olit}} || {{lang|fi|et ollut}} || {{lang|fi|olet ollut}} || {{lang|fi|et ole ollut}} || {{lang|fi|olit ollut}} || {{lang|fi|et ollut ollut}}
|-
! 3rd
| {{lang|fi|hän}} || {{lang|fi|on}} || {{lang|fi|ei ole}} || {{lang|fi|oli}} || {{lang|fi|ei ollut}} || {{lang|fi|on ollut}} || {{lang|fi|ei ole ollut}} || {{lang|fi|oli ollut}} || {{lang|fi|ei ollut ollut}}
|-
! 1st || rowspan="3" | pl.
| {{lang|fi|(me)}} || {{lang|fi|olemme}} || {{lang|fi|emme ole}} || {{lang|fi|olimme}} || {{lang|fi|emme olleet}} || {{lang|fi|olemme olleet}} || {{lang|fi|emme ole olleet}} || {{lang|fi|olimme olleet}} || {{lang|fi|emme olleet olleet}}
|-
! 2nd
| {{lang|fi|(te)}} || {{lang|fi|olette}} || {{lang|fi|ette ole}} || {{lang|fi|olitte}} || {{lang|fi|ette olleet}} || {{lang|fi|olette olleet}} || {{lang|fi|ette ole olleet}} || {{lang|fi|olitte olleet}} || {{lang|fi|ette olleet olleet}}
|-
! 3rd
| {{lang|fi|he}} || {{lang|fi|ovat}} || {{lang|fi|eivät ole}} || {{lang|fi|olivat}} || {{lang|fi|eivät olleet}} || {{lang|fi|ovat olleet}} || {{lang|fi|eivät ole olleet}} || {{lang|fi|olivat olleet}} || {{lang|fi|eivät olleet olleet}}
|-
! colspan="3" | passive voice
| {{lang|fi|ollaan}} || {{lang|fi|ei olla}} || {{lang|fi|oltiin}} || {{lang|fi|ei oltu}} || {{lang|fi|on oltu}} || {{lang|fi|ei ole oltu}} || {{lang|fi|oli oltu}} || {{lang|fi|ei ollut oltu}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
!colspan="3"| || colspan="8" | TABLE 2   indicative mood of {{lang|fi|OLLA}} (to be) in the "informal" or "spoken" style
|-
! colspan="3" | active voice
! colspan="2" | present tense
! colspan="2" | imperfect
! colspan="2" | perfect
! colspan="2" | pluperfect
|-
! per. || no. || pron.
! affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative
|-
! 1st || rowspan="3" | sg.
| '''{{lang|fi|mä}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|oon}}''' || {{lang|fi|en '''oo'''}} || {{lang|fi|olin}} || {{lang|fi|en ollu}} || {{lang|fi|oon ollu}} || {{lang|fi|en oo ollu}} || {{lang|fi|olin ollu}} || {{lang|fi|en ollu ollu}}
|-
! 2nd
| '''{{lang|fi|sä}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|oot}}''' || {{lang|fi|et '''oo'''}} || {{lang|fi|olit}} || {{lang|fi|et '''ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|oot ollu}} || {{lang|fi|et '''oo ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|olit '''ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|et '''ollu ollu'''}}
|-
! 3rd
| '''{{lang|fi|se}}''' || {{lang|fi|on}} || {{lang|fi|ei '''oo'''}} || {{lang|fi|oli}} || {{lang|fi|ei '''ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|on '''ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|ei '''oo ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|oli '''ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|ei '''ollu ollu'''}}
|-
! 1st || rowspan="3" | pl.
| {{lang|fi|me}} || '''{{lang|fi|ollaan}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ei olla}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|oltiin}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ei oltu}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ollaan oltu}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ei olla oltu}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|oltiin oltu}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ei oltu oltu}}'''
|-
! 2nd
| {{lang|fi|te}} || '''{{lang|fi|ootte}}''' || {{lang|fi|ette '''oo'''}} || {{lang|fi|olitte}} || {{lang|fi|ette '''ollu'''}} || '''{{lang|fi|ootte ollu}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ette oo ollu}}''' || {{lang|fi|olitte '''ollu'''}} || {{lang|fi|ette '''ollu ollu'''}}
|-
! 3rd
| '''{{lang|fi|ne}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|on}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ei oo}}''' || {{lang|fi|oli}} || {{lang|fi|ei '''ollu'''}} || '''{{lang|fi|on ollu}}''' || '''{{lang|fi|ei oo ollu}}''' || {{lang|fi|oli '''ollu'''}} || '''{{lang|fi|ei ollu ollu}}'''
|-
! colspan="3" | passive voice
| {{lang|fi|ollaan}} || {{lang|fi|ei olla}} || {{lang|fi|oltiin}} || {{lang|fi|ei oltu}} || {{lang|fi|on oltu}} || {{lang|fi|ei ole oltu}} || {{lang|fi|oli oltu}} || {{lang|fi|ei oltu oltu}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" 
|-
!colspan="3"| || colspan="8" | TABLE 3   indicative mood To BE in the informal English style
|-
! colspan="3" | active voice
! colspan="2" | present tense
! colspan="2" | imperfect
! colspan="2" | perfect
! colspan="2" | pluperfect
|-
! per. || no. || pron.
! affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative || affirmative || negative
|-
! 1st || rowspan="3" | sg.
| '''I''' || 'm || 'm not|| was || wasn't || 've been || haven't been || 'd been || hadn't been
|-
! 2nd
| '''You''' || 're ||aren't/ain't || were || weren't || 've been || 've not been || 'd been || hadn't been
|-
! 3rd
| s/he it|| 's || isn't || was || wasn't || 's been || hasn't been || 'd been || hadn't been
|-
! 1st || rowspan="3" | pl.
| We || 're || aren't || were || weren't || 've been || 've not been || 'd been || hadn't been
|-
! 2nd
| You|| 're || aren't/ain't || were || weren't || 've been || 've not been || 'd been || hadn't been
|-
! 3rd
| They || 're|| aren't || were || weren't || 've been || 've not been || 'd been|| hadn't been
|}