Enessiivimuoto

Enessiivimuoto, also known as the essive form, is a grammatical form in Finnish that marks a temporary state or role. It is commonly translated into English as “as” or “in the capacity of.” The essive is used to describe how someone or something functions or is regarded at a given moment, rather than indicating a permanent identity or a change of state.

The singular essive is formed by adding the suffix -na or -nä to the noun stem, with vowel harmony guiding which variant is used. For example, opettaja (teacher) becomes opettajana (as a teacher). Other examples include äiti (mother) becoming äitinä (as a mother). In plural, the essive takes the suffix -ina or -inä, as in opettajina (as teachers). The essive often appears with the verb olla (to be) to express a temporary state, such as Hän on opettajana, meaning “She is a teacher (by role).”

The essive is distinct from related cases like the inessive (describing location, “in”) and the translative (indicating a change into a state, “into” or “becoming”). While the translative marks a shift, the essive typically denotes a longstanding or current role or condition during the described time.

Usage notes: the essive is versatile and can accompany nouns and some expressions that convey role or status. It is less common in everyday speech in some contexts and may appear more in formal or literary Finnish.