Ilmaisumuotoon

Ilmaisumuotoon is a Finnish grammatical term, the illative case form of ilmaisumuoto, meaning “to the form of expression.” In linguistic descriptions it refers to the specific form of expression a speaker uses to convey meaning. The broader concept ilmaisumuoto (expression form) covers how language encodes content, attitude, and function, including grammatical mood, tense, voice, modality, and stylistic register.

In usage, ilmaisumuotoon appears in grammar discussions, typology, and language teaching to label the various ways a sentence can express itself. Typical ilmaisumuodot in Finnish include the indicative mood for statements, the imperative for commands, and the conditional or other mood forms that express hypotheticals or politeness. Examples: Minä menen. (I go.) Mene! (Go!) Menisin. (I would go.)

The term is used especially in descriptive grammar to help students understand that different forms serve different communicative purposes, and to distinguish between content and how it is presented. Etymology: it is formed from ilmaisumuoto (expression form) and the illative suffix -on, which marks direction toward that form in Finnish grammar. Related terms include ilmaisumuoto and broader mood or modality classifications used in Finnish language studies.