kanssa

With (Kanssa)

Level 2

Use kanssa to say you are doing something 'with' someone or something. An expressed noun comes before it in the genitive case (-n). A personal pronoun can sometimes be represented by a possessive suffix alone, as in kanssani (with me).

How It Works

The postposition kanssa is the standard way to express accompaniment in Finnish.

1. Basic Structure
To use it with a noun, you must put the noun in the genitive case (ending in -n):

  • ystävä (friend) → ystävän kanssa (with a friend)
  • koira (dog) → koiran kanssa (with a dog)

2. Plural Usage
When using kanssa with multiple things or people, the noun must be in the plural genitive:

  • ystävien kanssa (with friends)
  • lasten kanssa (with children)

3. Use with Pronouns
When using personal pronouns, you use the genitive form and add a possessive suffix to kanssa. In standard written Finnish (kirjakieli), the possessive suffix is mandatory (e.g., minun kanssani, not minun kanssa). In standard Finnish, the 1st and 2nd person pronouns (minun, sinun) can be omitted; including them can add emphasis or contrast:

  • kanssani (with me)
  • kanssasi (with you)

For the 3rd person, the pronoun hänen (his/her) must be included to refer to another person. If you omit it and only use the suffix (kanssaan), it refers back to the subject of the sentence (reflexive meaning). The exact same rule applies to the 3rd-person plural heidän (their) vs. kanssaan (with them - reflexive):

  • Hän puhuu hänen kanssaan. (He is talking with him/her — another person.)
  • Hän pyysi ystävää kanssaan elokuviin. (He asked a friend to the movies with him — reflexive.)

4. Spoken Language (Puhekieli)
In everyday speech, kanssa is often shortened to kaa or kans. In everyday speech, the possessive suffix is often omitted, giving the genitive pronoun + kaa/kans. Standard forms with a suffix also occur in speech. Note that kans is a common spoken variant for 'with', though it can also mean 'also' or 'too':

  • mun kaa / mun kans (with me)
  • sun kaa / sun kans (with you)
  • Mä tuun kans! (I'm coming too!)

5. Accompaniment vs. Instrument vs. Carrying
Use kanssa when you are 'together with' someone or something (e.g., ongelmia koneen kanssa - problems with the computer). If you are using a tool or vehicle to perform an action, use the adessive case (-lla/-llä) instead (e.g., kynällä - with a pen). Also, note that when 'with me/you' means carrying something or bringing something along, Finnish normally uses mukana/mukaan: Minulla on kirja mukana (I have a book with me), Ota kirja mukaan (Take the book along).

Examples (4)

  1. Menen elokuviin ystävän kanssa.

    I am going to the movies with a friend.

    Word by Word: I-go to-movies friend's with.

    The noun 'ystävä' is in the genitive form 'ystävän' because it is followed by the postposition 'kanssa'.

  2. Hän haluaa puhua sinun kanssasi.

    He/she wants to talk with you.

    Word by Word: He/she wants to-talk your with-your.

    When using a personal pronoun like 'sinun', the postposition 'kanssa' requires the matching possessive suffix '-si'.

  3. Lapset leikkivät koiran kanssa pihalla.

    The children are playing with the dog in the yard.

    Word by Word: Children play dog's with yard-on.

    'Koira' becomes 'koiran' (genitive) before 'kanssa'.

  4. Tuletko mun kaa kauppaan?

    Are you coming with me to the store? (Spoken)

    Word by Word: Come-you my with store-into?

    This uses the spoken forms 'mun' (minun) and 'kaa' (kanssa), which is very common in daily life.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the basic nominative form instead of the genitive.

    Menen Anna kanssa.
    Menen Annan kanssa.

    The postposition 'kanssa' requires the preceding noun to be in the genitive case (-n).

  • Using 'kanssa' for tools or instruments.

    Kirjoitan kynän kanssa.
    Kirjoitan kynällä.

    In Finnish, you use the adessive case (-lla/-llä) for tools. 'Kanssa' is for accompaniment (being together with something), not for using it as a tool.

  • Placing 'kanssa' before the noun like in English.

    Menen kanssa ystävän.
    Menen ystävän kanssa.

    'Kanssa' is a postposition, meaning it must come AFTER the noun it modifies.

How It Connects

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

kanssaLevel 2With (Kanssa)

Learn This First

To use 'kanssa' (with), you first need to know how to form the genitive case, as this postposition always follows a genitive noun. Additionally, because 'kanssa' takes possessive suffixes when used with pronouns (like 'kanssani'), you should be familiar with possessive suffix endings.

Words in This Pattern