Neues Konzept

No verb “to have”

English says I have a dog. Finnish has no verb “to have” at all. Instead it says, literally, “at me is a dog”: the owner takes the ending -lla / -llä (at, on), and the verb is simply on (is).

Pronoun “at …” Example English
minä minulla Minulla on koira. I have a dog.
sinä sinulla Sinulla on kissa. You have a cat.
hän hänellä Hänellä on talo. He / she has a house.
me meillä Meillä on aikaa. We have time.
te teillä Teillä on auto. You have a car.
he heillä Heillä on pyörä. They have a bike.

Names work the same way: Marcosilla on koira. — Marcos has a dog. Marinalla on pyörä. — Marina has a bike.

On never changes — it's always on, whoever the owner is. Minulla olen is a classic beginner's slip.