Essiivisuffixista

Essiivisuffixista refers to the essive suffix in Finnish grammar, or essive case, which is marked by the suffix -na/-nä on a noun stem. The essive expresses a temporary state or a role, roughly translating to "as" or "in the capacity of" in English. It is used to describe what someone or something is acting like, or being described as, in the present.

The suffix attaches to noun stems and follows vowel harmony, resulting in forms such as opettajana (as a teacher) and sairaana (as ill). The choice between -na and -nä depends on the phonological properties of the stem and the harmony rules of Finnish. The essive is distinct from the translative suffix -ksi, which marks a change of state or becoming something (for example, muuttua opettajaksi “to become a teacher”). In contrast, the essive marks the current role or temporary state without implying a change.

Usage notes include common constructions with verbs of being or acting, such as toimia opettajana (to work as a teacher) or olla jotakin, in which case the essive describes the role one holds. The essive can also appear in phrases indicating temporary conditions, such as olla sairaana (to be ill, literally “as ill”). In written references, the term essiivisuffixi may be cited as part of the nomenclature for the Finnish case system.

See also: Finnish grammar, cases, translative, inessive.