-vuotias

Telling Your Age

Level 2

The suffix -vuotias attaches to a number to create an adjective meaning '-year-old'. It is the standard way to describe the age of people, animals, or objects.

How It Works

The pattern -vuotias is essential for describing age in Finnish. It is formed by attaching the suffix -vuotias to a number.

1. Formation:
The form of the number depends on its value:

  • 1, 2: Use the nominative form (e.g., yksivuotias, kaksivuotias).
  • 3: Use the combining stem kolmi- or the nominative kolme- (e.g., kolmivuotias, kolmevuotias).
  • 4: Use the nominative neljä- or the combining stem neli- (e.g., neljävuotias, nelivuotias).
  • 5–9: Use the basic nominative form (e.g., viisivuotias). For 7, the short stem seitsen- is also common (seitsenvuotias).
  • 10: Use the stem kymmen- or the genitive stem kymmenen-.
  • 11–19: Use the nominative form (e.g., yksitoistavuotias, viisitoistavuotias).
  • 20+: Use the nominative (kaksikymmentävuotias), though genitive forms (kahdenkymmenenvuotias) are also correct.

2. Writing Rules:

  • With Digits: Use a hyphen (5-vuotias).
  • With Words: Do not use a hyphen (viisivuotias).

3. Usage:
This suffix describes the age of both living beings (viisivuotias lapsi) and objects (satavuotias talo). To describe a duration or an anniversary (e.g., a three-year project), use -vuotinen instead.

4. Declension:
This word follows the -as/-äs (type 41) noun stem type. The stem for adding cases is -vuotia- (e.g., kymmenvuotiaan).

Examples (5)

  1. Hänellä on kaksi- ja neljävuotiaat lapset.

    He/she has two- and four-year-old children.

    Word by Word: He-on two- and four-year-olds children.

    Shows the standard nominative-based forms 'kaksi-' and 'neljä-' modifying the plural noun 'lapset'.

  2. Kuinka vanha koirasi on? – Se on vasta yksivuotias.

    How old is your dog? – It is only one year old.

    Word by Word: How old dog-your is? – It is only one-year-old.

    Demonstrates the predicative use with the standard form 'yksivuotias'.

  3. Seitsenvuotias poika aloittaa koulun.

    A seven-year-old boy starts school.

    Word by Word: Seven-year-old boy starts school.

    Uses the common short combining stem 'seitsen-' for the number seven.

  4. 30-vuotias nainen katosi eilen Helsingissä.

    A 30-year-old woman disappeared yesterday in Helsinki.

    Word by Word: 30-year-old woman disappeared yesterday Helsinki-in.

    Common news-style usage where the age is written with digits and a mandatory hyphen.

  5. Puhun viisivuotiaalle lapselle.

    I am talking to a five-year-old child.

    Word by Word: I-talk five-year-old-to child-to.

    Shows case agreement: because 'lapselle' is in the allative case, 'viisivuotias' follows the -as/-äs declension to become 'viisivuotiaalle'.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a hyphen when writing the age as a word.

    Hän on viisi-vuotias.
    Hän on viisivuotias.

    Hyphens are used when writing the age with digits (5-vuotias). Written out as words, it is one word without a hyphen (viisivuotias). The exception is two ages joined together: viisi- ja kuusivuotiaat.

  • Forgetting case agreement with the noun.

    Puhun viisivuotias lapselle.
    Puhun viisivuotiaalle lapselle.

    If the noun (lapselle) has a case ending, the adjective (viisivuotias) must also have the same case ending.

  • Tämä on kolmevuotias sopimus is fine, but it means the contract is three years old.

    Different MeaningTämä on kolmevuotias sopimus.
    Tämä on kolmevuotinen sopimus.

    Use -vuotias to say how old something is. Use -vuotinen to say how long something lasts: kolmevuotinen sopimus is a three-year contract.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-vuotiasLevel 2Telling Your Age

Learn This First

To tell your age in Finnish using the -vuotias pattern, you need to know how to conjugate the verb 'olla' (to be) and be familiar with Finnish numbers, as the age is expressed as a compound word consisting of the number and the suffix -vuotias.

Words in This Pattern

-vuotias