Infinitiivillä

Infinitiivillä is a Finnish grammatical term referring to the infinitive form of a verb. In Finnish, verbs have two main infinitive forms: the first infinitive, often referred to as the "perusinfinitiivi" or basic infinitive, and the second infinitive, also known as the "a-infinitiivi" or "att-infinitiivi". The first infinitive is the dictionary form of the verb and typically ends in -a or -ä. For example, the verb "olla" (to be) has the first infinitive "olla". The second infinitive is used in specific grammatical constructions and usually ends in -maan/-mään, -minen, or -mätön/-mättä. For instance, "olla" also has second infinitives like "olemaan" (to be, often indicating purpose or duration) and "olemassa" (existing).

The choice between these infinitives depends on the verb's transitivity, its meaning, and the grammatical context of the sentence. For example, the first infinitive is commonly used after modal verbs like "voida" (can) or "pitää" (must). The second infinitive, particularly the -maan/-mään form, often expresses purpose or action happening concurrently with another action. The -minen form acts as a verbal noun. Understanding the different forms of infinitiivi helps in constructing grammatically correct and nuanced Finnish sentences.