Handbook of Finnish, 2nd edition, section 12 Pronouns:

The pronoun oma (own)

The word oma is usually classified as an adjective with pronoun-like properties. Here it is described as a pronoun of a special kind. It usually corresponds to “own” in English, but there are specialties in its use. It has regular inflection oma : oman etc.

Normally oma is used as an attribute, like an adjective, before a noun. The noun often has a possessive suffix in standard Finnish, e.g. Mies vastasi omalla tavallaan (The man re­spond­ed in his own way). In expressions like Se on oma tarinansa (It is a story of its own), oma corresponds to “of its own” in English.

It is also possible to use oma in the role of a noun, mostly with a possessive suffix, e.g. Antaisitko kynän? Olen hukannut omani (Would you please give me a pen? I have lost mine). It may also mean one’s “own things” or “own people”, e.g. Älä ota toisen omaa (Don’t take what belongs to someone else; literally: “other’s own [thing]”).


© 2015, 2025, 2026 Jukka K. Korpela, jukkakk@gmail.com. This book was last updated February 18, 2026.