Määrätävä

Määrätävä is a Finnish grammatical term referring to the partitive case. The partitive case is used in Finnish to express an incomplete action, a part of something, or an indefinite quantity. It is one of the fifteen grammatical cases in Finnish.

The partitive case is formed by adding specific suffixes to the noun stem. For example, the partitive singular of 'talo' (house) is 'taloa'. The partitive plural is often formed by adding '-ita', '-itä', '-ta', or '-tä' to the plural stem, such as in 'taloja' becoming 'taloja'. The exact suffix depends on vowel harmony and the ending of the noun stem.

Common uses of the partitive case include indicating that an action is ongoing or not yet completed, as in "Minä luen kirjaa" (I am reading a book). It is also used to express a part of something, like "join lasillisen vettä" (I drank a glass of water). Furthermore, the partitive is used with indefinite quantities, such as "ostin omenoita" (I bought apples, implying some apples, not a specific number). It also appears in idiomatic expressions and with certain prepositions and postpositions. Understanding the partitive case is crucial for comprehending Finnish grammar and constructing grammatically correct sentences.