-mme

-mme

See also: Mme and mme

Finnish

Etymology

• From Proto-Finnish *-kme, where the k is marker for the present tense. In the past tense, there was originally i in place of k (*-ime) but the present suffix has been generalized to all tenses and moods. The *-me part is probably identical to the first-person plural pronoun me and has probably ended in a consonant.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: -m‧me

The first M is in the penultimate syllable of the verb forms, e.g. o·lem·me.

The first M is in the last syllable of the actual word, e.g. yh·ti·öm·me.

• Pronounced as written. The first syllables of Finnish words are always stressed, so no emphasis on this.

Suffix

-mme

1. (personal) Forms the first-person plural of verbs:

   • Me olemme lääkäreitä.

     We are doctors.

Usage notes

• Suffixed to the same stem that the first person singular has both in the present and the past tense, and in all moods.
• Colloquially, the indefinite person is used instead of the actual first person plural. See -an and -in.

Suffix

-mme (appended to the (strong) vowel stem; the final -n of the genitive and illative singular and plural or the -t of the nominative plural is omitted)

1. (possessive) suffix used with or without meidän (the genitive of the personal pronoun me), corresponds to the English possessive pronoun our:

   • (meidän) kirjamme

     our book

2. (possessive) appended to a genitive-requiring postposition that is after or without meidän (the genitive of the personal pronoun me), us:

   • (meidän) edessämme = in front of us
   • (meidän) takanamme = behind us

3. (possessive) used in a participle structure replacing an "että" clause, preceded by a verb expressing e.g. telling, claiming, asserting, confirming, thinking, wish, desire, seeming, when the clauses have the same subject "we"; appended to the active present participle in genitive singular when the action is concurrent with the main clause:

   • Sanoimme tekevämme läksyjämme.

     We said that we were doing our homework.

     (similar to the Latin structure accusativus cum infinitivo, e.g. "se dicit facere")

4. (possessive) used in a participle structure replacing an "että" clause, preceded by a verb expressing e.g. telling, claiming, asserting, confirming, thinking, wish, desire, seeming, when the clauses have the same subject "we"; appended to the active past participle in genitive singular when the said/alleged (etc.) action antedates the main clause:

   • Väitimme tehneemme läksyjämme.

     We claimed to have been doing our homework.

5. (possessive) used in a shortened sentence expressing concurrent actions when the clauses have the same subject "we", appended to the inessive of the active second infinitive:

   • Tehdessämme läksyjämme (me) kuulimme laukauksen ulkoa.

     (While) doing our homework, we heard a shot from outside.

6. (possessive) used in a shortened sentence expressing subsequent actions when the clauses have the same subject "we", appended to the partitive of the passive past participle singular:

   • Tehtyämme läksymme (me) kuulimme laukauksen ulkoa.

     (After) having done / After doing our homework, we heard a shot from outside.

7. (possessive) used in a final shortened sentence expressing "in order to do" when the clauses have the same subject "we", appended to the long first infinitive:

   • Tehdäksemme läksymme hyvin (me) menimme hiljaiseen huoneeseen.

     (In order) to do our homework well, we went into a quiet room.

8. (possessive) Used in some adverbs, when the clause has the subject "we".

   • Olemme hyvin pahoillamme siitä.

     We are very sorry about it.

9. (possessive) Always appended to a noun in the comitative case when the clause has the subject "we".

   • Kävelimme kirjoinemme ovesta ulos.

     We walked with our books out the door.

Usage notes

• The possessive suffix -mme is compulsory in standard Finnish. In standard Finnish, the genitive form of the corresponding personal pronoun "me" before the main word can be omitted. In colloquial Finnish, the suffix -mme is very rare and only the genitive form "meidän" (or its colloquial or dialectal variants) is used before the main word.
• The shortened sentences — except for the participle structures — pertain mainly to standard Finnish, not to spoken Finnish. It is also to be noticed that the shortened clauses are never separated from the main clauses with a comma.

Derived terms

• (the reflexive pronoun, itse + -mme) itsemme
• (keskenä + -mme) keskenämme

See also

• -ni
• -si
• -nsa / -nsä
• -nne

Anagrams

• mem