Kieltomuotoon

Kieltomuotoon is a term used in Finnish grammar to refer to converting a sentence into its negation form. The noun kieltomuoto denotes the form of negation, and the suffix -on in kieltomuotoon makes clear the idea of “into the negation form” or “in negation form.” The phrase is commonly encountered in language teaching and grammar discussions, where learners are asked to change affirmative sentences into kieltomuoto.

In Finnish, negation is typically expressed with the negative particle ei, in combination with person-specific negation forms such as en, et, ei, emme, ette, or eivät. The main verb appears in a form appropriate to the tense after the negation. Examples: Minä en syö omenoita. (I do not eat apples.) Hän ei lue kirjaa. (She does not read the book.) Me emme ole menossa. (We are not going.) For past tense, you can have: Me emme syöneet. (We did not eat.)

The exact morphology of the kieltomuoto depends on tense and aspect. In descriptive grammar, kieltomuotoon is used to illustrate how sentences are negated, and it is common in tasks that require transforming statements into their negative equivalents. It is distinct from other moods or voices, serving specifically as the negation form.

Kieltomuotoon is therefore a practical concept in Finnish learning and reference materials, helping users recognize and produce correct negated sentences. It frequently appears in exercises, explanations of negation rules, and grammars that describe how to form phrases in the kieltomuoto.