The Difference Between Mikä and Mitä
In this article, we’ll take a look at the difference between mikä and mitä. Both are question words, both are translated as “what”, but they’re used in different contexts. Let’s explore the differences a little!
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- Predikative sentences
- Mikä tämä on? Tämä on pöytä.
- Mitä tämä on? Tämä on puuta.
- Location cases
- Mikä tässä on? Tässä on kukka.
- Mitä tässä on? Tässä on kahvia.
- Object sentences
- Mitä sinä teet? Minä syön.
- Mitä sinä teet? Minä luen tämän kirjan.
- Mitä sinä rakastat? Minä rakastan autoani.
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1. Predicative Sentences
Let’s first look at the difference between mikä and mitä predicative sentences (sentences with a complement). These are sentences with the verb “olla” that give information about the class or property of the subject (e.g. Kukka on kaunis. Sormus on kultaa.).
1.1. Mikä tämä on? Tämä on pöytä
When the subject is a defined, concrete thing, something countable, you generally use mikä.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mikä tämä on? | Se on kukka. | A flower is a concrete thing. |
| Mikä sinun puhelinnumerosi on? | Se on 045-10 10 101. | Phone numbers are concrete. |
| Mikä sinun lempiväri on? | Minun lempiväri on punainen. | Concrete(ish?) thing |
1.2. Mitä tämä on? Tämä on puuta
When the subject is abstract, something undefined or uncountable, you use mitä. It’s also used when you’re inquiring what material or substance something is made up of.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mitä tämä on? | Se on kahvia. | Coffee is uncountable. |
| Mitä tämä on? | Se on kultaa. | Gold is the material. |
| Mitä tämä on? | Se on rakkautta. | Love is abstract. |
2. Location Cases
This section is not very different from the previous one. We’re still using the “olla” verb, but now we’re talking about what is IN, ON or AT something.
2.1. Mikä tässä on?
When you’re asking what the object in a location is, and the object is a defined, concrete thing, something countable, you will ask mikä.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mikä pöydällä on? | Pöydällä on minun avaimeni. | Keys are concrete. |
| Mikä lautasella on? | Lautasella on omena. | An apple is countable. |
| Mikä tämä on? | Se on makaronilaatikko. | Concrete name of the food. |
2.2. Mitä tässä on?
When you’re trying to find out what something is made of, what’s inside it (what ingredient for example) or what material it is, you’ll ask mitä. It’s mostly for uncountable, abstract things.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mitä makaronilaatikossa on? | Siinä on makaronia, munia ja naudanlihaa. | The ingredients are uncountable. |
| Mitä lautasella on? | Lautasella on vadelmahilloa. | Jam is uncountable. |
| Mitä materiaalia tämä sormus on? | Se on kultaa. | Gold is its material. |
3. Object Sentences
Object questions will use mitä in most cases. Sometimes you can also use “minkä” (the genitive form) instead of mitä, but generally the partitive also fits in these sentences.
3.1. Mitä sinä teet? Minä syön.
When just asking what someone is doing, you use mitä (e.g. Mitä teet? Mitä hän tekee?). That’s because verbs and actions are not concrete.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mitä sinä teet vapaa-ajalla? | Minä tanssin balettia. | The answer is a verb. |
| Mitä sinä teet huomenna? | Olen töissä. | The answer is a verb. |
3.2. Mitä sinä teet? Minä luen tämän kirjan.
With other verbs, you’ll have to apply the object and rection rules. Object sentences follow the rules of the object. Objects can look like the partitive, the basic form and the genitive.
The question, however, will be mitä regardless of the object, because generally the person asking the question doesn’t know in advance what case will be used. Sometimes the person asking can use the genitive minkä or the nominative mikä in their question.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mitä ruokaa sinä teet? | Teen makaronilaatikkoa. | I’m making an uncountable food. |
| Mitä sinä rakennat? | Rakennan talon/taloa. | I’m building a house. (see: the object) |
| Minkä leivoksen valitset? | Valitsen runebergintortun. | I’m choosing one specific pastry. |
| Mikä kirja sinun täytyy lukea? | Minun täytyy lukea tuo kirja. | Täytyy sentences have a nominative object. |
3.3. Mitä sinä rakastat? Minä rakastan autoani.
It’s clear that with partitive verbs, your question word will be mitä.
| Question | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Mitä sinä katsot? | Katson televisiota. | Always partitive with katsoa. |
| Mitä sinä opiskelet? | Opiskelen suomen kieltä. | Opiskella is a partitive verb. |
| Mitä sinä rakastat? | Rakastan suklaata. | Rakastaa is a partitive verb. |
Thank you for updating this page!
I’ve been following it for almost 2 years now, eversince I’ve started studying Finnish.
Thank you so much for this page, I often link it to people asking questions about Finnish, because as a native speaker it’s sometimes difficult to explain why our language works as it does. So a HUGE thank you!
I just wanted to let you know I noticed some typos here if you want to make the site even better 🙂
Mikä sinun lempiväri on? -> Mikä sinun lempivärisi on?
Minun lempiväri on punainen. -> Minun lempivärini on punainen.
[possessive suffix]
Mikä pöydällä on?
Pöydällä on minun avaimeni.
[this is correct but just pointing out that the translation is not “keys” but “a key” in this case, otherwise the question would be “mitkä pöydällä ovat?”]
Mikä tässä on? -> Mikä tämä on? [sounds more natural with the answer]
Se on makaronilaatikko. -> Siinä on makaronilaatikko. [if you want to keep the original question]
Paljon kiitoksia tälle sivulle
In Section 2.1 (Mikä tässä on?) one example is ‘Mikä tämä on? Se on makaronilaatikko.’ (Concrete name of the food). Would it be mitä if it were an unspecified amount of macaroni, not a (defined) box ?
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