Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sinä | /ˈsinæ/ | |
| sinun | /ˈsinun/ | |
| te | /ˈte/ | polite, uncommon |
The term is used to address the person being spoken to.
Which one should you use?
sinä is used when addressing one person informally, whereas te is used for multiple people or as a formal singular. The form sinun is the genitive case of sinä, used to indicate possession.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
sinä is the standard, informal way to say 'you'. Te is the standard way to express the formal 'you' in Finnish. In writing, capitalizing the 'T' in Te is a way to show extra respect when addressing someone formally. The verb teititellä refers to the practice of addressing someone using the more formal second-person pronoun.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form sinua is the partitive case of sinä, used with certain verbs like rakastaa (to love).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsinæ/
When do people say it?
Formal address can be achieved by using te or by using titles such as Herra (Mr.) or Rouva (Mrs./Ms.).
Did you know?
- In spoken Finnish, sinä is frequently shortened to sää or omitted entirely because the verb ending already tells the listener that 'you' are the subject.
- The word sinä is derived from the Proto-Uralic root *tinä, showing a linguistic connection to languages spoken across Northern Asia.
- If you are too formal and use te with someone who expects to be called sinä, you might accidentally signal that you want to keep a social distance or that you do not feel close to them.
Examples in context
- Tee sinä se nyt.Now you do it.This sentence shows the use of sinä in a command or instruction.Tatoeba #2668838 by Silja, translation #2649206 by CK
- Minä en ole sinä!I'm not you!This sentence uses sinä to express identity.Tatoeba #13622744 by lenius, translation #13622736 by araneo
- Mitä sä aiot tehä?What do you intend to do?This sentence uses te in a spoken context.Tatoeba #3242658 by Silja, translation #16259 by CK
- Käsitättekö minua?Do you (formal) understand me?
- Sinä olet todella hauska.You are really funny.
- Sä näytät upealta tänään!You look amazing today!
- Te etsitte jotain?Are you looking for something?
- 5549 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Antti and Laura are deciding who will go to the store.
- AnttiKuka menee kauppaan?Who is going to the store?
- LauraSinä menet kauppaan, Antti.You go to the store, Antti.
- AnttiMiksi minä menen?Why do I go?
- LauraKoska sinä olet vapaa.Because you are free.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “you” translations and entries sinä, sinun, te, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sinä, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
