Määriteen

Määriteen is a Finnish grammatical term that translates roughly to "attribute" or "modifier." It refers to a word or phrase that describes or qualifies a noun or pronoun. Määritteet provide additional information about the noun, such as its characteristics, quantity, or possession.

In Finnish grammar, the most common type of määriteen is an adjective. Adjectives agree in case, number, and possession with the noun they modify. For example, in the sentence "kaunis talo" (beautiful house), "kaunis" is the adjective modifying "talo." If the noun is in the plural, the adjective also becomes plural: "kauniit talot" (beautiful houses).

Other types of määritteet include possessive suffixes, genitive nouns, and certain adverbs. A possessive suffix attached to a noun indicates ownership, functioning as a modifier. For instance, in "minun taloni" (my house), the "-ni" suffix on "talo" acts as a possessive määriteen. Genitive nouns can also function as määritteet, as in "talon väri" (the house's color), where "talon" in the genitive case modifies "väri." Certain adverbs, particularly those describing time or place, can also act as määritteet when they modify nouns, though this is less common than adjective modification. Understanding määritteet is crucial for comprehending how Finnish sentences convey precise meaning and relationships between words.