The -kin/-kAAn suffix
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This suffix also has many uses. The -kin suffix is used in positive sentences, while the -kAAn suffix is used in negative ones. The -kAAn suffix is subject to vowel harmony, which means that the two capital letters 'AA' are replaced with either 'aa' or 'ää', as appropriate.
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Meaning "also" or "either"
When attached to pronouns or nouns or adjectives this suffix means 'also' or 'too' in affirmitive sentences, and 'either' in negative sentences.
- Minä (I)
- Minäkin (I, too)
- En minä (not me)
- En minäkään (not me, either)
Note that since the suffix can be attached to single words, the meaning may be more specifically targeted than, say, in English.
1. Minäkin menen huomenna töihin. (Also I am going to work tomorrow.)
2. Minä menen huomenna töihinkin. (I am going also to work tomorrow.)
3. Tämäkään ei ole oikein! (This isn't right, either!)
4. Ota omenakin! (Take the apple, too!)
5. Älä ota mitään. Älä ota omenaakaan! (Don't take anything. Don't even take the apple!)
Meaning "after all"
When attached to verbs, this meaning of this suffix is often hard to translate into English. In the most basic sense, it means "after all", as in an expression of a contadiction of expectations. These sentences are an example of this:
1. Hän tulikin. (He came after all [I didn't expect it].)
2. Maija ei mennytkään kotiin. (Maija didn't go home after all [unlike we expected].)
3. Minä luulin, että otit banaanin, mutta sinä otitkin omenan. (I thought you took a banana, but you took an apple instead.)
NOTE: All the above can also be expressed by directly using the word sittenkin/sittenkään (=after all):
1. Hän tuli sittenkin.
2. Maija ei sittenkään mennyt kotiin.
3. Minä luulin, että otit banaanin, mutta otit sittenkin omenan.
Marking an emphasis
This usage of the suffix is the hardest to explain, because it lacks an equivalent in natural English. In other words, sentences which include the suffix in Finnish can easily and naturally be translated into English without any particular equivalent. Often the suffix acts as a softener which makes the sentence more mild, hence contibuting little extra meaning. But it can also be used to emphasise words, similarly to emphasising "do" in English. Consider the following examples:
1. Minä aloitinkin jo. (I started already.)
2. Saara käski Mikkoa lähtemään, ja hän lähtikin. (Saara told Mikko to leave, and he did leave.)
3. Älä lähde. -En minä lähdekään. (Don't leave. -I'm not.)
4. En tiennytkään, miten suuri maailma on! (I didn't know how big the world is!
5. Sinä voisitkin auttaa minua! (You know what, you could actually help me with this!)
Calling for agreement in questions
When this suffix is attached to a verb in a question sentence beginning with ei, it calls for an agreement in the listener, as opposed to being a straightforward question to which the asker doesn't know the answer.
1. Eikö tämä olekin upea hotelli! (Isn't this just a magnificent hotel?)
2. Etkö sinä haluakin jo levätä? (You want to rest already, don't you?)
3. Eikö Matti osaakin laulaa hienosti? (Don't you agree that Matti sings splendidly?)
"Wherever, whatever..."
This suffix is also used when expressing the following in Finnish:
1. Minne menetkin, kompassista on hyötyä. (Wherever you go, a compass will be useful.)
2. Mitä teemmekin, meidän on muistettava säännöt. (Whatever we do, we have to remember the rules.)
3. Tule esiin, kuka oletkin! (Come out, whoever you are!)
NOTE: You can also use -kAAn for these, with the same meaning.
Accompanying "vaikka"
The English word even can be expressed in Finnish by using the word vaikka. It is very usual to accompany vaikka with the -kin/-kAAn suffix:
1. Rakastan sinua, vaikka oletkin tyhmä. (I love you even if you are stupid.)
2. Vaikka pyysimmekin anteeksi, äiti oli yhä vihainen. (Even if we apologised, mother was still angry.)
3. Aloitimme juhlat, vaikka Maija ei tullutkaan. (We started the party even if Maija didn't come.)
With imperatives (commands)
When -kin is attached to a verb in imperative, the meaning is something like "Make sure you [verb]!" or "You better [verb]!". It adds sternness and threat to the command, so it can sound quite rude.
1. Muistakin ottaa liput mukaan! (Make sure you remember to take the tickets with you!)
2. Odottakaakin sitten minua! (You better wait for me after!)
3. Minä tuon näytekappaleet. -Otakin sitten kaikki! (I'm bringing the samples. - Make sure you bring all of them!)
NOTE: There is no negative equivalent for this usage (one with -kAAn).
With the conditional
This depends on the context. One can attach -kin or -kAAn to a conditional to achieve the quite usual meaning of "after all", which was explained above. But sometimes when -kin is attached to a verb in conditional form, the meaning is something like "If only!". This is often the case in short exclamations. It's very similar to adding the -pA clitic to the conditional, but with -kin the feeling is more frustrated or sceptical.
1. Tämähän on hyvä essee! -Olisikin! (Hey, this is pretty good essay! -If only/ I wish!)
2. Saisipa tästä enemmän palkkaa. -Saisikin joo! (I wish one would get more pay for this. -If only one would, yeah!)
3. Markkuhan voisi tyhjentää autotallinne, niin saisitte tilaa. -Tyhjentäisikin! (Hey, Markku could surely empty out your garage so you'd get more space. - How I wish he would!)
NOTE: There is no negative equivalent for this usage (one with -kAAn).
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