Presenttimuoto

Presenttimuoto, in grammar, refers to the present tense form of a verb. In Finnish linguistics the term is commonly aligned with the present tense, or preesens, which covers actions happening now, general statements, and habitual activities. It can also be used to talk about near-future events when combined with time expressions.

Formation and forms: The present tense in Finnish is built from the verb stem with personal endings. A typical verb example is puhua (to speak): minä puhun, sinä puhut, hän puhuu, me puhumme, te puhutte, he puhuvat. Here the endings are -n (1st person singular), -t (2nd person singular), the 3rd person singular often by stem alteration rather than a fixed suffix (puhuu), and -mme, -tte, -vat/-vät for the respective plural forms. The exact endings are influenced by vowel harmony and the verb’s stem. Other common examples include syödä (to eat): syön, syöt, syö, syömme, syötte, syövät; and tehdä (to do): teen, teet, tekee, teemme, teette, tekevät.

Usage specifics: The presenttimuoto does not encode a separate continuous aspect in Finnish; the sense of ongoing action is conveyed through context or adverbs. It also serves for habitual actions and general truths. The present form can express near-future intentions when paired with time markers (e.g., "Aion tehdä sen huomenna" uses future intention but often the present form appears in everyday speech for near-term plans).

Irregularities: Some verbs exhibit stem changes (ablaation) in the present, such as nähdä → näen, näet, näkee, näemme, näette, näkevät. Others, like tehdä, show irregular endings in several persons (teen, tekee, tekevät). Overall, the presenttimuoto follows a combination of regular endings and stem-specific alternations.