Liikuttaakseen

Liikuttaakseen is a Finnish verb form that is typically described as the kolmas infinitiivi (third infinitive) active of the verb liikuttaa, meaning to move something. The form is used to express purpose or aim in a clause, roughly corresponding to the English “in order to move.” It is more common in formal or literary Finnish and appears in subordinate clauses that indicate why an action is taken.

Formation and function: The form is built from the base liikuttaa by modifying the infinitival ending to create -akseen, yielding liikuttaakseen. As a non-finite form, it does not carry person or number endings. The subject of the main clause often governs its interpretation, and the form can be accompanied by a genitive noun or pronoun to clarify who or what is intended to move.

Usage: Liikuttaakseen is used to state the purpose of an action within a sentence. It can occur after verbs of decision, intention, or causation to specify the goal of the action. In contemporary everyday speech, the form is comparatively rare and may be replaced by more common constructions such as clauses introduced by jotta or by the first infinitive with an explicit purpose phrase.

Relation to other forms: It differs from the present active participle (for example, liikuttava) and from the ordinary first infinitive liikuttaa. The kolmas infinitiivi active, including forms like liikuttaakseen, is part of Finnish grammar’s set of non-finite verb forms used to express purpose, result, or related relations without subject-verb agreement.