sinä
Lemma: sinä
Translation: you (singular) (pronoun)
Etymology: Sinä comes from Proto-Finnic *sinä, which ultimately derives from Proto-Uralic *tinä. Unlike English 'you', which can be both singular and plural, Finnish maintains a distinction between singular 'sinä' and plural 'te'. This reflects the historical development where English lost its singular second-person pronoun 'thou', while Finnish preserved the distinction.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'sinä' as 'seen ya' - when you see someone, you might say 'you'.
- The 'si' in 'sinä' can remind you of 'second person' (you).
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Finnish culture, the distinction between the informal 'sinä' and formal 'te' is less rigid than in many European languages. Finns generally use 'sinä' in most everyday situations, reserving 'te' for very formal contexts, addressing elderly people, or in customer service. The shift toward using 'sinä' more universally is known as the 'sinä-revolution' that began in the 1960s.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'sinä' means 'you (singular)', 'minä' means 'I'. They are both personal pronouns but refer to different persons - second person vs. first person.
This word:
Sinä olet täällä.
You are here.
Confused word:
Minä olen täällä.
I am here.
Notes: Both pronouns are often dropped in spoken Finnish when the person is clear from the verb conjugation.
Mnemonic: 'Sinä' starts with 's' like 'second person', while 'minä' starts with 'm' like 'me'.
Explanation: 'Sinä' is the singular 'you', while 'te' is either plural 'you' or formal singular 'you'.
Confused word:
Te olette opiskelijoita.
You (plural) are students.
Notes: In modern Finnish, 'te' as a formal singular is becoming less common, especially among younger generations.
Mnemonic: 'Sinä' is singular, and both start with 's'. 'Te' is shorter, like a simplified version for addressing multiple people.