Indikatiivinen

Indikatiivinen, or indikatiivinen moodi, is the Finnish term for the indicative mood in grammar. It is the default mood used to state facts, describe real events, and express actions viewed as reality. The indicative encompasses several tenses that relate to time while primarily signaling factual content.

In Finnish, the indicative includes present, imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect forms. The present and imperfect carry explicit person and number endings, while the perfect and pluperfect are formed with the auxiliary olla (to be) plus a past participle. For example: "Minä asun Helsingissä" (I live in Helsinki) — present; "Me menimme eilen" (We went yesterday) — imperfect; "Olen lukenut kirjan" (I have read the book) — present perfect; "Olin lukenut kirjan ennen sinua" (I had read the book before you) — pluperfect. The indicative can express ongoing, completed, or habitual actions, and it is used in both main clauses and subordinate clauses that report facts.

Negative forms follow the same mood, using the standard negation particle "ei" (e.g., "En ole menossa" — I am not going). The indicative is contrasted with other moods in Finnish grammar, such as the konditionaali (conditional), which expresses hypothetical or desired actions (e.g., "isä söisin" — I would eat), and the potentiaalinen (potential), which conveys possibility or probability. The imperative expresses commands (e.g., "Syö!" — Eat!). While the indicative is the backbone of most statements about reality, other moods allow speakers to express non-factual or non-real situations.