Essiivijohdos

Essiivijohdos is a Finnish derivational suffix that forms the essive form (essiivi) of a noun or adjective, indicating being in a certain state or capacity. It expresses a temporary state or role, equivalent to “as a/being as” in English. The suffix is written as -na or -nä, chosen according to vowel harmony: -na after back vowels, -nä after front vowels.

The essive is most commonly used with the verb olla (to be) in predicative constructions. For example, opettajana means “as a teacher” or “in the role of a teacher.” Other stem examples include maalari (painter) → maalarina (as a painter) and opiskelija (student) → opiskelijana (as a student). When referring to multiple people in a shared role, the plural form is opettajina (as teachers) or opiskelijoina (as students).

In Finnish there is a related form, the translative, expressed with -ksi, which denotes a change of state or into-into-essence (e.g., opettajaksi = “as a teacher” in the sense of becoming). The essive, by contrast, typically marks the current state or role rather than a change.

Notes on use and form: the essive suffix is a derivational, not a separate case in the sense of a simple noun ending; it behaves like a fixed suffix that combines with a wide range of stems. The exact spelling of -na/-nä follows vowel harmony, and plural essive forms use -ina/-inä (e.g., opettajina, opiskelijoina).