Määrittyjiä

Määrittyjiä, meaning determiners in Finnish, are a class of words that precede nouns and provide information about their definiteness, quantity, or possession. They function to specify or restrict the meaning of the noun phrase. Finnish determiners are not inflected for case or number in the same way as nouns.

Common Finnish determiners include demonstrative pronouns such as tämä (this), tuo (that), and tuo (those). These indicate proximity or distance relative to the speaker. Possessive determiners, like minun (my), sinun (your), and hänen (his/her), express ownership. Articles, which are common in many other languages, do not exist in Finnish. Instead, definiteness is often conveyed through word order or context.

Quantifying determiners, such as kaikki (all), jokainen (each), useat (several), and muutama (a few), specify the amount of the noun. The interrogative determiner kuka (who) and mikä (what) are also used to inquire about nouns. The absence of articles means that the distinction between a general statement and a specific one relies heavily on the surrounding sentence structure and the semantic context. Understanding the function of these words is crucial for comprehending the nuances of Finnish grammar.