Infinitiivinen

Infinitiivinen is a Finnish grammatical term used as an adjective to describe anything related to the infinitive, the non-finite verb form that expresses action without indicating person or tense. The word is formed from infinitiivi (infinitive) with the suffix -nen to mean “infinitive-related” or “infinitival.” In scholarly grammar, the label infinitiivinen is applied to forms, constructions, and clauses that center on the infinitive rather than a finite verb.

In Finnish, the infinitive appears mainly in two broad forms. The present active infinitive, or perusinfinitiivi, corresponds to the dictionary form of the verb, such as tehdä (to do), syödä (to eat), juoda (to drink). A second form, often described as the infinitive with -maan/-mään, is used in constructions that express purpose or future-oriented action, as in mennä ostamaan kahvia (to go to buy coffee). These infinitival forms are non-finite; they do not provide a specific subject or tense on their own and commonly participate in larger non-finite clauses or in sentences with finite verbs.

Infinitival clauses, sometimes referred to as infinitiivinen lause, can express purpose, result, explanation, or accompanying actions. For example, in a sentence like Hän meni ostamaan kahvia (He went to buy coffee), the phrase ostamaan kahvia functions as an infinitival clause linked to the finite verb mene-, illustrating how infinitives form part of the clause structure. Infinitives can also function as nouns when nominalized, such as lukeminen (reading), which illustrates another facet of infinitive-based usage.

In summary, infinitiivinen denotes aspects and constructions tied to the infinitive in Finnish grammar, including non-finite verb forms and infinitival clauses used to convey purpose, example, or nominalized action. See also infinitiivi and Finnish grammar.