Genetiivimuodolle

Genetiivimuodolle is a term used in Finnish grammar to refer to the genitive form of a noun. The genitive form, or genetiivi, marks possession, close association, or a relationship between two nouns. In everyday Finnish, the genitive is most commonly seen as a suffix added to the noun stem.

In singular, the typical genitive suffix is -n. Examples: talo (house) -> talon (the house’s), kirja (book) -> kirjan (the book’s), auto (car) -> auton (the car’s). Some nouns show small stem changes or require adjustments of spelling when -n is added, but the basic idea is to indicate ownership or a close link.

In plural, the genitive form is formed with suffixes such as -en or -ien depending on the word. Common examples include talot → talojen (the houses’), kirjat → kirjojen (the books’), autot → autojen (the cars’), lapsi → lasten (the children’s). The exact plural genitive form can vary by lexical class and historical spelling, but the function remains the same: to express “of the …” or a possessive relationship.

Genetiivimuoto is widely used in noun phrases, in expressions of possession, description, and part–whole relations, and it appears in dictionaries and language guides as the standard form for indicating ownership. It is typically contrasted with other cases such as the partitive or nominative, depending on the grammar of the phrase.

Notes: irregulars and stem changes exist for some nouns, and spoken Finnish may show variations in pronunciation. Dictionaries often present the genitive form to help learners recognize possessive constructions.