Adjectives - Finnish Grammar

In Finnish grammar, adjectives play a crucial role in describing and providing additional information about nouns. Adjectives can be classified into two main categories: qualitative and quantitative adjectives.

Qualitative adjectives express the quality, characteristic, or state of a noun. They agree with the noun they describe in number and case. For example, in the phrase “kaunis kukka” (beautiful flower), the adjective “kaunis” (beautiful) is in the singular, agreeing with the noun “kukka” (flower). If the noun is in the plural form, the adjective also takes the plural form.

Quantitative adjectives, on the other hand, express the amount, size, or number of a noun. They do not change according to the number or case of the noun they describe. For instance, in the phrase “monta taloa” (many houses), the adjective “monta” (many) remains the same regardless of whether the noun “talo” (house) is in the singular or plural form.

In addition to their agreement with nouns, adjectives also form comparatives and superlatives. These forms express a comparison between multiple objects or persons. Finnish adjectives have two degrees of comparison: comparative and superlative.