If an interrogative sentence does not contain an interrogative pronoun or adverb, its character is marked by adding the particle ko or kÖ to some word in the sentence. Thus one says menettekÖ kotiin? are you going home? But in such sentences as mihin menette? or kuka menee? it is unnecessary to use ko, as the sentence already contains a word which makes its interrogative character clear. It will be noticed that this use of ko is exactly similar to that of ?? in Russian.

The termination ko, kÖ is added to the word on which the chief interrogative stress is laid.

TiedÄttekÖ mihin hÄn on lÄhtenyt? do you know where he is gone? IsÄkÖ sen sanoi? was it the father who said so? MeritsekÖ aiotte matkustaa? are you thinking of going by sea?

In a negative question the termination kÖ is always attached to the negative verb. EttekÖ ole nÄhneet hÄntÄ? have you not seen him? EikÖ jo lakkaa satamasta? hasn’t it stopped raining yet?

In a disjunctive question the particle ko, kÖ is attached to the first alternative which is connected with the second by the word vai. Poikako se on vai tyttÖ? is that a boy or a girl?

But if there are two verbs in the sentence ko or kÖ is added to each. Onko hÄn vielÄ kotona vai lÄksikÖ? is he still at home or has he started?

In such a sentence as, Are you coming or not? one can say either Tuletteko vai ette? or, tuletteko vai ettekÖ tule?

The manner of giving a negative reply has been described above. Though there are two words, ja and niin (instr. plural of se), which can be used for ‘yes,’ the usual way of giving an affirmative reply is, to repeat the word which in the question has ko attached to it. Tuliko pappi? has the priest come? Tuli, yes.