Common Finnish verbs in the present tense

Learning Finnish by focusing on the most commonly used verbs is a smart way to get started. In this post, I tell you some of the most used Finnish verbs in the present tense, which hopefully helps you build a strong foundation for everyday conversations. Whether you're a beginner looking to learn Finnish verbs, improve your Finnish speaking skills, or understand common Finnish phrases, these verbs will appear in countless situations—from chatting with friends to ordering food or asking for directions.

By the end of this guide, you will know how to use Finnish verbs in present tense correctly, and also feel more confident incorporating them into your daily Finnish practice. Let's make learning Finnish verbs practical, simple, and even a little fun! 

olla 'to be' : minä olen, sinä olet, hän on, me olemme, te olette, he ovat

Minä olen Hanna. Kuka sinä olet? Hän on ystävällinen. Me olemme onnellisia. Missä te olette? He ovat ulkona.

[I am Hanna. Who are you? He / She is friendly. We are happy. Where are you all? They are outside.]

mennä 'to go' : minä menen, sinä menet, hän menee, me menemme, te menette, he menevät

Minä menen kotiin. Mihin / Minne sinä menet? Hän menee ulos. Me menemme saunaan. Mihin ravintolaan te menette? He menevät teatteriin.

[I go home. Where are you going to? He / She goes out. We go to sauna. Which restaurant are you (all) going to? They go to theatre.]

voida 'to can, to be able to', also refers to health / condition in expression Miten sinä voit? = How are you? : 

minä voin, sinä voit, hän voi, me voimme, te voitte, he voivat

Minä voin tehdä sen. Sinä voit odottaa tässä. Hän voi käydä kaupassa. Me voimme tavata ensi viikolla. Te voitte korjata sen. He voivat tulla mukaan.

[I can do it. You can wait here. He / She can go to shop. We can meet next week. You all can fix it. They can come along. / join us.]

tulla 'to come, to become', also support verb in expressions that refer to future

NOTE! In Finnish there can be two places for the verb 'to come'. Firstly, the speaker may ask from other person "do you come here?" - tuletko sinä tänne?, and on the other hand, the person replies "joo, minä tulen sinne." - I'll come (go) there. So the idea of actually going, is oriented towards the other person and expressed with 'I come to there, where you are.'

minä tulen, sinä tulet, hän tulee, me tulemme, te tulette, he tulevat