How to ask questions in Finnish: -ko/-kö and question words
Finnish questions are simpler than they look. Yes/no questions add -ko or -kö to the verb, other questions start with a question word, and you answer by repeating the verb.
4 min read · Updated 10 October 2026
Yes/no questions with -ko/-kö
To make a yes/no question, add -ko or -kö to the verb and move the verb to the start of the sentence. Finnish has no do or does to add.
Puhut englantia. → Puhutko englantia?
You speak English. → Do you speak English?
Hän on kotona. → Onko hän kotona?
He/she is at home. → Is he/she at home?
Asutte Helsingissä. → Asutteko Helsingissä?
You live in Helsinki. → Do you live in Helsinki?
Onko sinulla lapsia?
Do you have children?
-ko or -kö?
Vowel harmony decides. If the word has a, o or u, use -ko. Otherwise use -kö.
Tuletko huomenna?
Are you coming tomorrow?
Ymmärrätkö?
Do you understand?
Syötkö lihaa?
Do you eat meat?
Menetkö kotiin?
Are you going home?
Tiedätkö, missä asema on?
Do you know where the station is?
Read more in Finnish vowel harmony.
Asking about something other than the verb
You can put -ko/-kö on any word you want to question. That word then comes first.
Huomennako?
Tomorrow? (Is it tomorrow?)
Sinäkö sen teit?
Was it you who did it?
Tämänkö haluat?
Is it this one you want?
Negative questions
In a negative question, -ko/-kö goes on the negative verb: etkö, eikö, emmekö, ettekö, eivätkö.
Etkö tule mukaan?
Aren't you coming along?
Eikö hän ole kotona?
Isn't he/she at home?
Eikö olekin kaunis päivä?
Isn't it a beautiful day?
Finnish question words
Questions that need more than yes or no start with a question word. The verb comes after it, without -ko/-kö.
| Question word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mikä | what (subject), which | Mikä tämä on? (What is this?) |
| mitä | what (object) | Mitä sinä teet? (What are you doing?) |
| kuka | who | Kuka tuo on? (Who is that?) |
| kenen | whose | Kenen tämä laukku on? (Whose bag is this?) |
| missä | where (at) | Missä asut? (Where do you live?) |
| mistä | where from | Mistä olet kotoisin? (Where are you from?) |
| mihin / minne | where to | Mihin olet menossa? (Where are you going?) |
| milloin | when | Milloin juna lähtee? (When does the train leave?) |
| miksi | why | Miksi opiskelet suomea? (Why are you studying Finnish?) |
| miten | how | Miten sanotaan “thank you” suomeksi? (How do you say “thank you” in Finnish?) |
| kuinka | how (+ adjective/adverb) | Kuinka vanha olet? (How old are you?) |
| paljonko | how much | Paljonko tämä maksaa? (How much does this cost?) |
| montako | how many | Montako lasta sinulla on? (How many children do you have?) |
| millainen | what kind of, what … like | Millainen sää siellä on? (What's the weather like there?) |
| kumpi | which (of two) | Kumpi on parempi? (Which one is better?) |
Montako and kuinka monta are followed by the partitive singular: Montako lasta? Kuinka monta kertaa? See the partitive case.
Question words change case
Mikä and kuka take case endings like nouns, so the question matches the answer. Missä, mistä and mihin are simply mikä in the three inner place cases.
Missä olet? – Kotona.
Where are you? – At home.
Millä tulit? – Bussilla.
How did you come? – By bus.
Kenellä on avain? – Minulla.
Who has the key? – I do.
Ketä odotat? – Ystävää.
Who are you waiting for? – A friend.
Kenelle soitat? – Äidille.
Who are you calling? – My mother.
Mistä pidät? – Kahvista.
What do you like? – Coffee.
Answering yes and no
Finns often answer a yes/no question by repeating the verb in the right person, instead of saying yes. For no, use the negative verb, with or without the main verb.
Puhutko suomea? – Puhun. / En puhu.
Do you speak Finnish? – Yes, I do. / No, I don't.
Tuletko mukaan? – Tulen!
Are you coming along? – Yes!
Onko sinulla autoa? – On. / Ei ole.
Do you have a car? – Yes. / No.
Ymmärrättekö? – Ymmärrämme.
Do you understand? – Yes, we do.
Oletko väsynyt? – En.
Are you tired? – No.
- Kyllä is yes. It is correct and polite, a little formal or emphatic.
- Joo and juu are the everyday yeah.
- Ei is no. With minä the answer is en: Oletko väsynyt? – En.
More on en, et, ei in the Finnish negative verb.
Indirect questions
Inside a longer sentence, the question keeps its question word or -ko/-kö. The word order stays the same and a comma comes before it.
En tiedä, missä hän asuu.
I don't know where he/she lives.
Kysyn, tuleeko hän.
I'll ask if he/she is coming.
Tiedätkö, paljonko kello on?
Do you know what time it is?
Questions in spoken Finnish
In everyday speech, -ko/-kö is often shortened to -ks, and mikä/mitä may sound different: Tuuks sä? (Are you coming?), Onks sulla aikaa? (Do you have time?), Mitä sä teet? (What are you doing?). People also use koska for when: Koska sä tuut? Learn the standard forms first, then listen for these. See spoken Finnish.
Useful everyday questions
Mitä kuuluu?
How are you?
Miten menee?
How's it going?
Mikä sinun nimesi on?
What's your name?
Paljonko kello on?
What time is it?
Missä on vessa?
Where is the toilet?
Voitko puhua hitaammin?
Can you speak more slowly?
Mihin aikaan kauppa aukeaa?
What time does the shop open?
For more ready-made phrases, see basic Finnish phrases.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sinä puhutko englantia? → Puhutko sinä englantia? The word with -ko/-kö comes first.
- Missä asutko? → Missä asut? With a question word, don't add -ko/-kö.
- Syötko? → Syötkö? Check vowel harmony: a word with only ö, y, e or i takes -kö.
- Kyllä after every question sounds stiff. Repeating the verb (Tulen, Ymmärrän) sounds more natural.
Practise with Maija
Questions work in both directions: you need to understand them and ask them. In Maija's spoken classes she asks you questions out loud, you answer by repeating the verb the Finnish way, and you ask her questions too. She gently corrects a wrong form and explains why. Take the free level check to start at your level.
Frequently asked questions
How do you ask a yes/no question in Finnish?+
Add -ko or -kö to the verb and put it first: Puhut suomea → Puhutko suomea? Use -ko with a, o, u words and -kö otherwise.
How do you say yes in Finnish?+
Kyllä is yes, and joo or juu is the everyday yeah. Very often Finns answer by repeating the verb: Tuletko? – Tulen.
What is the difference between missä, mistä and mihin?+
Missä means where (at), mistä means where from and mihin means where to. They match the -ssa, -sta and illative case endings.
What is the difference between mikä and mitä?+
Mikä asks about the subject (Mikä tämä on?) and mitä about the object (Mitä teet?). Mitä is the partitive of mikä.