Possessiivipronomini

Possessiivipronomini, or possessive pronouns in English, are words that indicate ownership or possession. In Finnish grammar, they are a type of pronoun used to show who a particular noun belongs to. Unlike in some other languages, Finnish possessive pronouns agree with the noun they modify in terms of number and case, but they do not agree in person. The person is instead indicated by the ending of the possessive suffix, which is attached to the noun itself, or by a separate possessive pronoun word.

The primary possessive pronouns in Finnish are minun (my), sinun (your, singular informal), hänen (his/her), meidän (our), teidän (your, plural or formal), and heidän (their). These words are typically used before the noun they possess for emphasis or clarity, especially when the possessive suffix alone might be ambiguous. For example, "minun taloni" means "my house," where "minun" emphasizes "my" and "-ni" is the possessive suffix.

However, it is very common in Finnish to use only the possessive suffix attached to the noun. For instance, "taloni" also means "my house." The standalone possessive pronoun is often used when the possessive suffix might be confusing or when the pronoun is used as the subject or object of a sentence independently of the noun. For example, "Tämä on minun," meaning "This is mine." Understanding the distinction between standalone possessive pronouns and possessive suffixes is key to mastering Finnish possession.