Lauseenrakenteen

Lauseenrakenteen (lauseen rakenne) is a Finnish linguistic term that refers to how sentences are built and how their parts relate to one another. It encompasses the arrangement of clauses within a sentence, as well as the internal organization of a clause, including how grammatical roles are signaled through inflection and word order.

Lauseenjäsenet, or sentence constituents, form the core of lauseenrakenteen. The main members are the subject (aihe or subjekti) and the predicate (predikaatti). The object (objekti) and various modifiers (määritteet), adverbials, and complements complete the structure. In Finnish, grammatical function is primarily indicated by case endings rather than fixed positions, so the same noun can appear in different places in a sentence without losing its role. The subject is typically in nominative, while objects may appear in partitive or accusative forms depending on aspect and completeness.

Word order in Finnish is relatively flexible compared to strictly fixed languages, because inflection marks the functions of nouns and pronouns. A common default order is subject–predicate–object, but speakers may reorder elements to mark topic or focus. Adverbials and other modifiers can occupy initial positions for emphasis, with the verb’s form still indicating tense, mood, and agreement.

Lauseet can be simple or complex. Complex structures involve subordinate clauses (alilauseet) and coordinate clauses, linked by conjunctions such as ja (and), että (that), koska (because), and jos (if). Relative clauses, often begun with joka (who/which/that), add additional layers of meaning. Lauseenrakenteen analysis is central in language teaching, literary studies, and natural language processing.

See also: Finnish grammar, sentence structure.