The predicative

The concept and the cases of the predicative

In a sentence like Taivas on sininen (The sky is blue), the last word is called the predicative instead of the object, since the verb olla (to be) is not regarding as having an object. The case of the predicative is the nominative, as in the example above, or the partitive, as in the statement Vesi on kylmää (The water is cold).

The predicative is in plural, if the subject is in plural form, e.g. Nämä autot ovat uusia (These cars are new).

Genitive predicative

In addition to normal predicatives, there is also the genitive predicative, as in Talo on minun (The house is mine). It can be understood as a short form of an expression like Talo on minun taloni (The house is my house), where the genitive is an attribute. For this reason, it is natural that the genitive predicative is in plural according to the number of the “possessor”, not of the possessed. For example, we say Talot ovat minun (The houses are mine), Talo on meidän (The house is ours).

If a personal pronoun appears as a genitive predicative, the normal genitive form is used. Finnish has no distinction such as “yours” versus “your” in English.

Choice between nominative and partitive

An adjective used as a predicative is in the nominative, e.g. Poika on surullinen (The boy is sad), unless there is a special reason to use the partitive, namely one of the following:

• The subject is a mass noun, e.g. Alumiini on kevyttä (The aluminium is light). This applies even when noun refers to some specific sample of the substance, e.g. Kahvi on vahvaa (The coffee is strong). However, when referring to a specific brand, the nominative may be used, e.g. Tämä viini on nuori ja hedelmäinen (This wine is young and fruity; referring to a brand being tested).
• The subject is a verb in the infinitive. In such a construct, the normal word order is predicate – predicative – subject, e.g. On parasta lähteä (It is best to leave). In Finnish, the infinitive (tavata) is interpreted as the subject here. Some common adjectives such as hauska, helppo, hyvä, ikävä, and vaikea are more often used in the nominative in these constructs, e.g. Oli hauska tavata (It was nice to meet); using the partitive, Oli hauskaa tavata, is possible, but rare.
• The subject is a subordinate clause, normally an että (that) clause, e.g. On valitettavaa, että lähdit niin aikaisin (It is unfortunate that you left so early). The same exceptions apply as for the preceding item, e.g. On hyvä, että tulit (It is good that you came).
• The subject is a name of action, such as kasvaminen or kasvu (growth), e.g. Talouskasvu oli hidasta (The economic growth was slow). However, if the subject is regarded as denoting a specific process, the nominative is also possible, e.g. Suhtautuminen on ollut positiivista ∼ positiivinen (The attitude has been positive). Here the partitive means referring to the way people have taken attitude, whereas the nominative focuses on people’s attitudes as a whole.
• There is no subject, e.g. Täällä on meluisaa (It is noisy here). However, when describing the temperature of the air, the nominative is used, e.g. Täällä on kuuma (It is hot here).
• The subject is in plural. This means that the predicative is in plural, too, e.g. Suomalaiset ovat ujoja (Finns are shy), Nämä kirjat ovat kalliita (These books are expensive). According to some descriptions, the nominative is also possible in many expressions of this type (e.g. Nämä kirjat ovat kalliit), but this is rather theoretical. However, there is a real exception: the predicative is in the nominative, if the subject is a word that is always used in plural or has a meaning like “a pair of”, e.g. Tytön kasvot ovat kauniit (The girl’s face is beautiful), Kengät ovat mustat (The shoes are black).

When a noun is used as a predicative, it is in the nominative if in singular, but usually in the partitive if in plural. For example, Hän on tyttäreni (She is my daughter) but He ovat tyttäriäni (They are my daughters). Similarly, we say Suomalaiset ovat ujoja (Finns are shy). Foreigners who have learned Finnish often mistakenly use the nominative (ujot) here, since there does not seem to be any logical reason for the partitive.

It is also possible to have the subject in singular and the predicative in partitive plural, e.g. Hän on Maijan tyttäriä (She is one of the daughters of Maija). This differs in tone from Hän on yksi Maijan tyttäristä, which emphasizes the “one of” part. These both differ from Hän on Maijan tytär (She is Maija’s daughter), which does not imply (or deny) the existence of other daughters.

The predicative can be in the nominative even in plural, but this changes the meaning: the predicative then refers to a definite, known set. For example, Nämä ovat Maijan tyttäret (These are the daughters of Maija) means that all daughters of Maija are being referred to, as opposite to Nämä ovat Maijan tyttäriä (These are daughters of Maija).

The partitive is also used if the predicative is a mass noun, referring to a substance, such as in Nämä kengät ovat nahkaa (These shoes are made of leather). The same applies if the subject is a mass noun, e.g. Vesi on kylmää (The water is cold). Abstract properties and names of actions are also treated as mass nouns, e.g. Vaikeneminen on kultaa (Silence is golden; literally “Being silent is gold”). The same applies to demonstrative pronouns when their meaning is abstract and not a physical entity, e.g. Tämä on hauskaa (This is fun), but Tämä on älypuhelin (This is a smartphone).

Some nouns can be treated as mass nouns or otherwise. We can say Hänen elämänsä on vaikeaa (His life is hard) in the partitive, but Hänen elämänsä oli lyhyt (His life was short), since here elämä does not refer to life in general but to the duration of a person’s life, lifetime. Similarly, we normally say Tässä on vettä (Here is [some] water), but when referring to some specific amount of water that has been mentioned, we say Tässä on vesi (Here is the water).