Määriteinfinitiivi

Määriteinfinitiivi is a grammatical construction in Finnish that expresses purpose or intention. It is formed by combining the infinitive of a verb with a possessive suffix, typically the third-person singular suffix -nsa or -nsä. For example, "lukemisen iloksi" translates to "for the joy of reading" or "to enjoy reading." This construction often follows nouns or other verbs to clarify the reason or objective behind an action.

The grammatical function of the määriteinfinitiivi is similar to that of a prepositional phrase in English, such as "in order to" or "for the purpose of." It can be used in various contexts, from everyday conversation to more formal writing. For instance, one might say "hän lähti kauppaan ostamaan maitoa" (he went to the store to buy milk), where "ostamaan" is a form of the illative infinitive often used in a similar way to express purpose. However, the määriteinfinitiivi specifically uses the possessive suffix attached to the infinitive.

Another common usage is seen in phrases like "tarkoituksena oli selvittää totuus" (the purpose was to find out the truth). Here, "selvittää" is the infinitive, and if a possessive suffix were added, it would specify whose purpose it was, for example, "hänen tarkoituksenaan oli selvittää totuus" (his purpose was to find out the truth). While the core meaning revolves around purpose, the nuances of its application depend on the surrounding grammatical structure and the specific verb used. Understanding the määriteinfinitiivi is crucial for a deeper comprehension of Finnish grammar and its expressive capabilities.