possessiivipäätteet

Possessive suffixes, or omistusliitteet, are Finnish noun-ending morphemes that indicate ownership. They attach directly to the stem of a noun and express possession without requiring a separate possessive pronoun in many contexts. The suffixes reflect person and number of the possessor.

The basic forms are:

- ni = my

- si = your (singular, informal)

- nsa / nsä = his / her / its

- mme = our

- nne = your (plural)

The third-person suffix appears in two allomorphs, -nsa and -nsä, with the choice influenced by vowel harmony and the stem's vowels. Examples: taloni (my house), talosi (your house), hänen talonsa (his/her/its house), talomme (our house), talonne (your house, plural), heidän talonsa (their house).

Examples in use:

- Taloni on pieni. (My house is small.)

- Talosi on pieni. (Your house is small.)

- Hänen talonsa on suuri. (His/her/its house is large.)

- Talomme on vanha. (Our house is old.)

- Talonne on uusi. (Your house, plural, is new.)

- Heidän talonsa on hyvä. (Their house is good.)

Notes:

- The possessive suffixes replace or express the possessor without needing additional pronouns in many constructions.

- Some stems may undergo phonological or morphological adjustments when the suffix is added, depending on stem class and consonant gradation, but the suffix itself remains the primary marker of possession.

- In practice, the suffix can be used with most common nouns and even with proper nouns when indicating ownership.