Määrittelevistä

Määrittelevistä is a Finnish term that translates to "defining" or "restrictive" in English. It is often used in grammar to describe a type of relative clause that is essential for identifying the noun it modifies. These clauses are crucial for understanding which specific person or thing is being referred to.

In Finnish grammar, a määrittelevä relatiivilause does not use commas to set it apart from the main clause. This lack of punctuation signals that the information within the clause is indispensable for identifying the antecedent. For example, in the sentence "Mies, joka seisoo ovella, on isäni" (The man who is standing at the door is my father), if the clause "joka seisoo ovella" were removed, it would be unclear which man is being referred to. Therefore, it is a defining clause.

Contrast this with a non-defining or descriptive relative clause, which provides additional, non-essential information about the noun. These clauses in Finnish are typically set off by commas, indicating that the noun is already sufficiently identified without the clause. The concept of defining clauses is important for understanding sentence structure and meaning in Finnish.