Epäfinittisiä

Epäfinittisiä is a term used in Finnish linguistics to describe non-finite verb forms. In Finnish grammar, verbs occur in finite forms that express tense and person, and in non-finite forms that do not carry person and tense by themselves. The label epäfinittisiä literally means "non-finite forms" and is applied to these non-finite verb forms in linguistic descriptions.

Non-finite forms include infinitives, participles, and verbal nouns. They do not have independent subject agreement or tense marking in the way finite verbs do. Instead, they typically depend on other parts of the clause or auxiliary elements to convey temporal or modality information. They can function as nouns, modifiers, or parts of complex predicate structures, and they often participate in subordinate clauses or in phrases that express manner, intention, or aspect.

In practice, epäfinittisiä forms are used to form multi-word predicates with auxiliary verbs, to express adverbial or nominal meanings, or to function as the base form for nouns derived from verbs. Their interpretation is often guided by context, syntax, and accompanying words, rather than by person or tense markings alone.

The concept is common in descriptive Finnish grammars and cross-linguistic discussions of non-finite verb forms. It helps linguists distinguish forms that can act as the main predicate from those that serve peripheral, dependent, or supplementary roles within clauses.

See also:

- Finite verb

- Infinitive (Finnish grammar)

- Participle (Finnish)

- Verbal noun