Uusi kielemme - Finnish for Busy People

Consonant gradation

1. What is it?

When, by adding an ending, a previously open syllable becomes closed, some consonants change! The form with the changed consonants is called the weak stem. The form with the "harder" consonants is the strong stem.

2. When do you use it?

The endings where consonant gradation may take place are those which begin with two consonants (-ssa/-ssä, sta/-stä, -lla/-llä, -lta/-ltä, -lle, -ksi) or consist of one consonant (-t, -n). It only happens when the consonants are on the border between the last and the previous syllable! That's why keittiö becomes keittiössä, but konsertti becomes konsertissa.

3. Which consonants change?

Strong	Weak	Example 1	Example 2
kk	k	pankki -> pankissa	paikka -> paikat
pp	p	kauppa -> kaupassa	kuppi -> kupin
tt	t	konsertti -> konsertista	kartta -> kartalle
nt	nn	Skotlanti -> Skotlannin	Englanti -> Englannissa
nk	ng	kaupunki -> kaupungista	Helsinki -> Helsingin
t	d	katu -> kadulla	pöytä -> pöydän
k	Ø	polku -> polulta	Turku -> Turussa
k	v	luku -> luvulla	puku -> puvusta
p	v	kylpy -> kylvyssä	apu -> avulla
lt	ll	silta -> sillalta	ilta -> illalla
rt	rr	virta -> virrat	kerta -> kerran
mp	mm	kampa -> kammassa	ampua -> ammun
lki	lje	jälki -> jäljen	kylki -> kyljessä
rki	rje	järki -> järjet	särki -> särjet

If a certain consonant combination is not included in this list, they don't consonant gradate. For example: -ss- is not in the list, so you will never consonant gradate -ss- to -s-.

4. Consonant gradation for verbs

When conjugating verbs, you also need to think of consonant gradation. Each verb type has its own rules.

- Consonant gradation for verbs of verb type 1

- Consonant gradation for verbs of verb type 3

- Consonant gradation for verbs of verb type 4

5. Consonant gradation for words of wordtype B