# Onks? Saanks?



## toonarmy

Hello everyone, I've been using Wordreference for ages and I had never realized there is a finnish forum in english! 
You could be my saviours, this language is a hell 

Now coming to the point, a question that I've always wondered and never found an answer for: this spoken abbreviations with "ks" can be made with any verb or just with some of them? If so, is there a general trend to pick the right ones? And do they only replace suffix "ko" or also something else?
Thanks in advance!


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## altazure

My intuition says it can be used with any verb; at least I can't think of any verbs where I wouldn't use it.

In second person singular, -ks also replaces the -t- personal suffix:

Saatko (sinä)? -> Saaks sä? (usually pronounced "saaksä")

NB! As you may know, in spoken language, plural first and third persons ((me) saamme,  (he) saavat; Saammeko (me)? Saavatko (he)?)  are replaced with the  passive and singular third person, respectively. The -ks suffix is only  used with these colloquial forms, whereas the "grammatically correct" forms can only have the -ko suffix.

Me saamme. -> Me saadaan.
He saavat. -> Ne/He saa. ("Ne" is usually used instead of "he" in colloquial language)
Saammeko me? -> Saadaanko me? -> Saadaanks me? ("Saammeks me?" is not used)
Saavatko he? -> Saako ne? -> Saaks ne? ("Saavaks he?" is not used)


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## toonarmy

Thank you very much! 
I knew about the spoken forms of the plural first and third persons, but I didn't know that ks would be used only with these forms and not with the "correct" ones 
So as far as I understand with plural persons you never use it, do you? Like "ovatko?" = "ovaks?" for example.


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## altazure

Yes, you never use it like that. "Ovatko (he)?" becomes "Onks (he/ne)?"

Remember though, you can still say "Onko (he/ne)?" instead. This sounds a bit more formal.


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## toonarmy

Cheers!


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## Gwydda

Worthwhile pointing out is the second person singular variable -ts-, as in "_osaatsä laulaa?_". 

I was talking about this the other day with some friends, and most of us would when chatting (Facebook, whatsup etc.) write that out as a single word. So not "Osaat sä laulaa?"
I think it's also being reflected in the pronunciation: there's no stress on the final syllable.




			
				altazure said:
			
		

> Saammeko me? -> Saadaanko me? -> Saadaanks me? ("Saammeks me?" is not used)



 Although I'd say "_saa'aks me_"


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