Handbook of Finnish, 2nd edition, section 17 Word-like suffixes:

The softening suffix s

The form Onpas mentioned above contains both the pa suffix and the s suffix, and the latter might be used to soften the statement. Originally, the s suffix is a shortened form of the personal pronoun sinä (you), or rather its colloquial form . This origin can still be seen in requests like Tules tänne, which might be seen as based on Tule sä tänne. In fact, the s suffix or the pa suffix or their combination pas might often be regarded as more or less obligatory for normal politeness, somewhat like “please” is used in English. A mere Tule tänne might sound like a direct order.


© 2015, 2025, 2026 Jukka K. Korpela, jukkakk@gmail.com. This book was last updated January 11, 2026.