If you’ve started learning North Sami, you’ve probably noticed something strange happening to the words.

You learn that the word for “language” is giella.

But then you see a sentence saying “the sound of the language,” and suddenly the word is written as giela.

Where did the other ‘l’ go?

This is called Consonant Gradation.

It’s one of the most important parts of Sami grammar.

It might seem confusing at first, but once you understand the rhythm of it, it actually makes the language much easier to pronounce.

Think of it like a heartbeat inside the word. Sometimes the beat is strong, and sometimes it’s soft.

In this guide, I will explain exactly how it works without using complicated academic language.

What is consonant gradation?

Consonant gradation is a fancy way of saying that the consonants in the middle of a word change depending on the grammar.

It doesn’t usually happen to the first letter of the word, and it doesn’t happen to the very end. It happens to the consonants between the first and second vowel.

In North Sami, we call this the “consonant center.”

Here is the basic rule:

• Some grammatical forms require the word to be “Strong.”
• Other grammatical forms require the word to be “Weak.”

When a word goes from Strong to Weak, the consonants in the middle usually get shorter, softer, or change to a different sound entirely.

Strong grade vs. weak grade

To keep things simple for beginners, we usually talk about two main “grades” (levels) or strengths.

1. The Strong Grade

This is usually what you see in the dictionary form of a noun (the Nominative Singular). The consonants are long or distinct.

2. The Weak Grade

This is what happens when we change the word, for example, to say “the dog’s bone” (Genitive) or “I see the dog” (Accusative). The consonants become shorter or softer.

Let’s look at a very common example using the word for “fish.”

See what happened? The double ll became a single l.

Here is a sentence example showing the difference:

In the first sentence, “fish” is the subject, so it’s Strong (ll). In the second sentence, “fish” is the object (the thing being eaten), so it becomes Weak (l).

Common gradation patterns

There are many different patterns in North Sami, but you don’t need to memorize them all today. Most of them follow a logical reduction.

We can group them into two types: Quantity (Length) and Quality (Sound).

Quantity changes (getting shorter)

This is the easiest type. A long consonant becomes a short one.

• bb → b
• dd → d
• gg → g
• ll → l
• rr → r
• ss → s

Examples:

• Oabba (sister) → oaba (sister’s)
• Gussa (cow) → gusa (cow’s)

Quality changes (changing sound)

Sometimes the sound actually changes to a “softer” letter. This often happens with combinations of letters.

• hk → g
• ht → đ
• pm → m

Examples:

• Lohkat (to read) → logan (I read)
• Goahti (hut) → goaidi (hut’s)

Note: In the last example (šaldi), the spelling looks the same, but the pronunciation changes! In the strong grade, the ‘ld’ is pronounced longer than in the weak grade. This is a bit advanced, but it’s good to know that sometimes the change is only heard, not seen.

When does it happen?

The most difficult part for learners is knowing when to use the Strong Grade and when to use the Weak Grade.

Here is a “cheat sheet” for the most common situations you’ll face as a beginner.

Nouns

Use Strong Grade for:

• The Subject (Nominative Singular). Example: The dog is barking.
• The Illative singular (meaning “into” or “to”). Example: I go to the house.

Use Weak Grade for:

• Ownership (Genitive). Example: The dog’s tail.
• The Object (Accusative). Example: I love the dog.
• With most prepositions/postpositions. Example: With the dog.

Verbs

Verbs also have consonant gradation! Usually, the infinitive form (the dictionary form ending in -at, -it, or -ut) is in the Strong Grade.

When you conjugate the verb for “I” (mun) or “we” (mii), it often changes to the Weak Grade.

Let’s look at the verb boahtit (to come). The pattern is ht → đ.

Notice that “He/She comes” goes back to the Strong Grade! This “up and down” rhythm is what gives Sami its unique sound.

Tips for practicing

Learning consonant gradation takes time. It’s not something you can memorize in one night. Here is how I recommend you learn it:

1. Learn words in pairs

When you write down a new vocabulary word in your notebook, don’t just write the dictionary form. Write the Genitive form next to it.

• Gussi (guest) - Gusi

2. Listen for the rhythm

Sami is a very musical language. If you say a weak word with a strong consonant, it will sound “choppy” or too aggressive to a native speaker. Try to listen to how the Weak Grade flows more smoothly.

3. Don’t worry about “Extra Strong” yet

You might hear people talk about “Grade III” or “Extra Strong” grade. This exists (for example, bálggis - path), but as a beginner, focusing on the basic switch between Strong and Weak is enough to be understood.

4. Regional variations

I write mostly about standard North Sami. Be aware that if you are learning a specific dialect, like the Sea Sami dialect or the dialect from Karasjok, the pronunciation of these grades might sound slightly different, but the grammar rules are generally the same.

Summary

Consonant gradation is simply the changing of the middle consonants to fit the grammar.

• Nominative (Subject) = Strong
• Genitive/Accusative (Object) = Weak

Keep practicing, and soon your brain will make these switches automatically without you even thinking about it!

---

Do you have a specific word you are struggling to conjugate?