Participiippeja

Participiippeja is the plural form of the Finnish term for participles, a class of non-finite verb forms derived from verbs. In Finnish grammar, participiippeja function like adjectives or adverbs; they describe nouns or accompany auxiliary verbs to express aspect, voice, or state without imposing a finite subject or tense on the verb. They are a core resource for concise, descriptive expression and for forming compound verb phrases.

Finnish participiippeja are commonly categorized by voice and aspect. The main types are present active participle and past participle forms. The present active participle, formed with the suffix -va or -vä, describes ongoing action by the subject or by a relative noun, as in lukeva oppilas (the student who is reading). The past participle, often ending in -nut/-nyt for active or -ttu/-ttu/-tty for passive, marks completed action or a resulting state. Examples include tehnyt (having done) and kirjoitettu (written). The latter is frequently used as a modifier or in passive voice constructions such as on kirjoitettu kirja (a book that has been written).

Participiippeja commonly appear in noun phrases, where they decline like adjectives to agree with the noun in case and number. They also participate in participial clauses, providing concise substitutes for relative clauses. In modern Finnish, participiippeja are central to both literary and everyday language, enabling efficient expression of time, aspect, and voice through non-finite verb forms.

See also: partisiippi (the broader term for participle in Finnish).