Ainenadjektiivit

Ainenadjektiivit are a category of Finnish adjectives that describe the material or substance from which a noun is made. They answer questions such as “What is it made of?” and help specify the composition of objects, buildings, or artifacts. Common examples include puinen (wooden), kivinen (stone), lasinen (glass), pellinen (tin or metal sheet), paperinen (paper), kuparinen (copper), teräksinen (steel), hopeinen (silver) and kultainen (gold or gold-colored).

Formation and usage: Aineenadjektiivit are usually formed from material nouns by adding the suffix -inen. They function like ordinary Finnish adjectives and thus agree with the noun in number and case. For example: singular nominative puinen pöytä (wooden table), kivinen lattia (stone floor); plural nominative puiset pöydät, kiviset lattiat; singular genitive puisen pöydän, kivisen lattian; plural genitive puisten pöytien, kivisten lattioiden. They are predominantly used attributively before the noun, but can also occur predicatively in sentences like Pöytä on puinen (The table is wooden), though attributive use is more common.

Relation to other material descriptors: While many materials form -inen adjectives, not all substances have equally productive forms, and some phrases prefer alternative expressions (for example, kuparinen vs. kuparia sisältävä, copper-containing). Aineenadjektiivit typically contrast with origin-, function-, or color-based adjectives, as they specifically convey material composition rather than appearance or provenance.

Etymology and scope: The class is lexicalized in everyday Finnish and includes well-established items such as puinen, lasinen, and teräksinen. New material terms can sometimes yield new adjectives, expanding the category alongside conventional forms.