Elättääkseen

Elättääkseen is a Finnish verb form derived from elättää, meaning to provide sustenance or support, especially financially or materially. The form elättääkseen specifically functions as the third infinitive (kolmas infinitiivi) with the purposive suffix -kseen, and is used to express purpose or aim, roughly translating to “in order to feed/support.”

Formation and use: elättääkseen is formed from the verb stem elättä- plus the third infinitive suffix -kseen. It typically appears in subordinate clauses to indicate the goal of the action described in the main clause. The subject of the infinitive is generally the same as the subject of the main verb, making it a compact way to state purpose without a separate dependent clause.

Usage and examples: A common example is Hän työskenteli yötä päivää elättääkseen itsensä ja perheensä, meaning “He worked day and night to support himself and his family.” Another example is Hän teki ruokaa elättääkseen lapsensa, meaning “He cooked food to feed his children.” The form can also express broader sustenance goals, such as elättääkseen perheensä or elättääkseen itsensä, depending on the context.

Notes: In modern everyday language, speakers often prefer constructions using voidakseen elättää or other periphrastic forms to convey purpose more explicitly. Elättääkseen, like other kolmas infinitiivi forms, is more common in written, formal, or literary Finnish. It is primarily used with transitive verbs and nouns in the genitive to indicate who is being sustained.

See also: elättää, kolmas infinitiivi, Finnish grammar.