The Finnish plural: -t, -i- and the partitive plural
Finnish has two plural markers: -t at the end of the basic form, and -i- inside all the other cases. Once you see the pattern, words like taloissa and kissoja are easy to read.
5 min read · Updated 10 October 2026
The basic plural: add -t
The basic plural form (the nominative plural) is easy: add -t to the word's vowel stem, the same stem you see in the genitive singular.
| Singular | Genitive | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| talo | talon | talot | houses |
| kissa | kissan | kissat | cats |
| päivä | päivän | päivät | days |
| kauppa | kaupan | kaupat | shops |
| pöytä | pöydän | pöydät | tables |
| huone | huoneen | huoneet | rooms |
| nainen | naisen | naiset | women |
| kieli | kielen | kielet | languages |
| avain | avaimen | avaimet | keys |
Use the genitive singular as your guide. Swap its final -n for -t and you have the plural: pöydän → pöydät, avaimen → avaimet. This also handles consonant gradation for you.
When do you use the -t plural?
- For plural subjects: Talot ovat vanhoja. (The houses are old.)
- For definite plural objects, 'all of them': Ostin kirjat. (I bought the books.)
- With words that only exist in the plural: housut (trousers), sakset (scissors), häät (wedding), kasvot (face), silmälasit (glasses).
Numbers take the singular
This surprises many learners. After a number bigger than one, Finnish uses the singular partitive, not the plural: kaksi kirjaa (two books), kolme kissaa (three cats), viisi päivää (five days). See our guide to Finnish numbers.
The plural -i- in other cases
In every case except the nominative, the plural marker is -i-, placed between the stem and the case ending. Between two vowels it is written -j-: talo + i + a → taloja.
| Case | Singular | Plural | English (plural) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | talo | talot | houses |
| Genitive | talon | talojen | of the houses |
| Partitive | taloa | taloja | (some) houses |
| Inessive | talossa | taloissa | in the houses |
| Elative | talosta | taloista | from inside the houses |
| Illative | taloon | taloihin | into the houses |
| Adessive | talolla | taloilla | at the houses |
| Ablative | talolta | taloilta | from the houses |
| Allative | talolle | taloille | to the houses |
What happens to the stem before -i-
Adding -i- often changes the last vowel of the stem. The rules look a lot like the ones for the past tense, which also uses -i-.
| Rule | Singular | Plural inessive |
|---|---|---|
| o, u, y, ö stay | talo, katu | taloissa, kaduissa |
| a → o if the first vowel is a, e or i | kala, kissa, kirja | kaloissa, kissoissa, kirjoissa |
| a drops if the first vowel is o or u | koira, kukka | koirissa, kukissa |
| ä drops | päivä, kylä | päivissä, kylissä |
| i becomes e | kieli, nimi | kielissä, nimissä |
| e-words get -ei- | huone | huoneissa |
| long vowel gets shorter | maa, puu | maissa, puissa |
| ie, uo, yö lose their first vowel | tie, suo, työ | teissä, soissa, töissä |
These are the usual patterns for two-syllable words. Longer words have a few extra patterns, and there are some exceptions, so treat the table as a strong guide rather than a law.
The partitive plural
The partitive plural is one of the most common forms in Finnish. You use it for an unspecified amount of countable things ('some books'), for adjectives describing plural subjects, and with many verbs. Read more about why in our partitive case guide.
The ending is -a/-ä after the plural -i-, and the -i- becomes -j- between vowels. Some words take -ita/-itä.
| Singular | Partitive plural | Ending |
|---|---|---|
| talo | taloja | -ja |
| kissa | kissoja | -ja |
| katu | katuja | -ja |
| päivä | päiviä | -ä |
| koira | koiria | -a |
| nainen | naisia | -a |
| kieli | kieliä | -ä |
| huone | huoneita | -ita |
| maa | maita | -ita |
Notice that the partitive plural usually takes the strong grade: kauppa → kauppoja, pöytä → pöytiä, katu → katuja. The inessive plural is weak: kaupoissa, pöydissä, kaduissa.
Pöydällä on kirjoja.
There are (some) books on the table.
Ostin banaaneja.
I bought (some) bananas.
Talot ovat vanhoja.
The houses are old.
Helsingissä on paljon kahviloita.
There are a lot of cafés in Helsinki.
The genitive plural
The genitive plural ('of the …') has more than one ending, and some words accept two forms. The most common patterns are -jen (talojen, kissojen), -ien (päivien, koirien), -iden/-itten (huoneiden, maiden) and -ten (naisten). You will mostly see it with postpositions: talojen välissä (between the houses).
Plural forms in real sentences
Lapset leikkivät puistossa.
The children are playing in the park.
Pidän kissoista.
I like cats.
Annoin kukat äidilleni.
I gave the flowers to my mother.
Kenen avaimet nämä ovat?
Whose keys are these?
Asumme vanhoissa taloissa.
We live in old houses.
Ostin kaksi kirjaa.
I bought two books.
Adjectives agree with the noun in the plural too: vanhoissa taloissa (in old houses), isoja koiria (big dogs). If the noun has -i-, the adjective usually has it as well.
Common plural mistakes
- A plural after a number. Say kaksi kirjaa, not kaksi kirjat. The same goes for monta (many): monta kertaa (many times).
- Forgetting gradation. The plural follows the genitive: kauppa → kaupat, not kauppat.
- The -t plural for 'some'. Ostin omenat means you bought the (specific) apples. For 'some apples', use the partitive plural: Ostin omenoita. After paljon (a lot of), use it too: paljon kirjoja.
- A plural verb in a 'there is' sentence. A plural subject takes a plural verb (Lapset leikkivät), but a 'there is' sentence keeps the verb singular: Pihalla on lapsia (There are children in the yard).
Practise with Maija
Plurals become automatic when you use them in real talk: what is in your fridge, how many rooms your flat has, what you bought at the shop. Maija is an AI Finnish tutor who practises this with you out loud, from Pre-A1 up, and her flashcards with spaced repetition help the forms stick. Take the free level check to find your starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a word plural in Finnish?+
In the basic form, add -t to the vowel stem: talo → talot, kissa → kissat. In other cases the plural marker is -i-: taloissa (in the houses).
Why is it 'kaksi kirjaa' and not 'kaksi kirjat'?+
After numbers bigger than one, Finnish uses the singular partitive: kaksi kirjaa (two books), kolme päivää (three days).
What is the partitive plural in Finnish?+
It is the form for 'some' of countable things and for many plural adjectives: kirjoja (some books), Talot ovat vanhoja (The houses are old).
Why does 'j' appear in Finnish plurals?+
The plural marker -i- is written as -j- when it stands between two vowels: talo + i + a → taloja.