Course Grammar - Kurssin Kielioppi
3. Other
3.2. Consonant changes
A consonanat change often happens when certain endings are attached to a noun or a verb. Letters k, p and t can shorten, change quality or drop.
The
change happens between a strong grade and weak grade. For example a
double consonant (strong grade) becomes a single consonant (weak grade)
or a single consonant becomes its weak counterpart or disappears.
Examples:
Strong grade Afrikka Africa katu a street Hollanti Holland
Weak grade Afrikassa in Africa kadulla on the street Hollannissa in Holland
A weak grade is used when the case or personal ending is attached to the word and it is
1. a single consonant: -n or -t (tyttö - tytön girl - girl's, tyttö - tytöt girl girls, ottaa - otan to take - I take)
2. a combination of two consonants and a vowel: -ssa, -sta, -lla, -lta, -lle, -mme, -tte
(kauppa - kaupassa shop - in a shop, ottaa - otamme to take - we take).
A strong grade is used when the case or personal ending is attached to the word and it is
1. a vowel: (salaatti - salaattia salad - some salad, nukkua - nukkuu to sleep - she sleeps)
2. a vowel+consonant: (kauppa - kauppaan shop - to the shop, pankki - pankkiin bank - to the bank)
3. a consonant+vowel+consonant: nukkuvat they sleep, ottavat they take)
Here are the main consonant change variations:
| Strong |
Weak |
Example |
|---|---|---|
| kk |
k |
Amerikka - Amerikassa |
| pp |
p |
Eurooppa - Euroopasta |
| tt |
t |
konsertti - konsertin |
| k |
ø |
Turku - Turussa |
| p |
v |
kylpy - kylvyssä |
| t |
d |
katu - kadulla |
| lt |
ll |
ilta - illalla |
| nk |
ng |
Helsinki - Helsingistä |
| nt |
nn |
Englanti - Englannissa |
In most cases, in a nominative form (basic form), a word has a strong grade, which has to be changed into a weak grade with a suffix.
Note though, that the partitive and illative (where to) endings do not cause consonant change and the word stays in a strong grade.
Example:
Nominative kuppi cup sänky bed
Genitive kupin sängyn
Partitive kuppia sänkyä
Missä? kupissa sängyssä
Mihin? kuppiin sänkyyn
CONSONANT CHANGE WITH VERBS
In verb type 1, the infinitive (basic form) is always in a strong grade, which with most personal endings changes to a weak grade.
Only the 3rd person singular and plural forms stay in the strong grade.
Examples:
nukkua to sleep tietää to know
minä nukun minä tiedän
sinät nukut sinä tiedät
hän nukkuu hän tietää
me nukumme me tiedämme
te nukutte te tiedätte
he nukkuvat he tietävät
Note that the change takes place in the final syllable boundary of the word:
hat-tu - ha-tut → tt changes to t because consonants occur at the final syllable division.
opet-ta-ja - opet-ta-jat → no change because t-consonants do not occur at the final syllable division.