Essivissä

Essivissä is a term used in Finnish grammar to refer to the form of a noun in the essive case, which expresses a temporary state or role. The essive is one of the Finnish cases and is often translated as “as” or “in the capacity of.” It describes how something or someone functions in a given moment, rather than a permanent property or a change of state.

Morphology and formation: The essive uses suffixes attached to the noun stem. In the singular, common endings are -na or -nä (for example, opettajana “as a teacher”). In the plural, the endings are typically -ina or -inä (for example, opettajina “as teachers”). The exact form depends on vowel harmony and the stem's final sounds; some nouns have irregular patterns. The essive can also attach to adjectives and other parts of speech to convey “as ….”

Usage: The essive is commonly used with the verb olla (to be) to describe a current role or state, such as Hän on opettajana “He is acting as a teacher.” It can also appear with verbs that express functioning in a certain capacity, for example työskentelee opettajana “works as a teacher.” The essive contrasts with the translative, which marks becoming or change (opettajaksi, “as a teacher” in the sense of becoming), and with the inessive, which expresses “in” a location or state.

Notes: The form aligns with Finnish consonant and vowel harmony rules, and some stems require special spelling adjustments. Essive usage is common in formal and written Finnish and is an important feature of Finnish case grammar. See also Finnish grammar, cases, essive, translative, and inessive.