Päämäärälausetta

Päämäärälausetta, a Finnish grammatical term, translates to "purpose clause" in English. It is a subordinate clause that expresses the purpose or intention of the action described in the main clause. These clauses answer the question "for what purpose?" or "why?".

In Finnish, päämäärälausetta are typically introduced by conjunctions such as jotta, että, or siten että. For instance, "Opiskelen ahkerasti, jotta voisin menestyä opinnoissani." (I study hard so that I can succeed in my studies.) Here, "jotta voisin menestyä opinnoissani" is the purpose clause, explaining the reason for studying hard.

The verb in a purpose clause is often in the conditional mood or the third infinitive form, depending on the structure and the conjunction used. The choice of mood can subtly alter the nuance of the purpose. For example, "Teimme kaikkemme, että hän toipuisi." (We did everything so that he would recover.) uses the conditional mood.

Understanding päämäärälausetta is crucial for comprehending complex sentence structures in Finnish and for expressing intentions and goals accurately. They are a common feature in both spoken and written Finnish, adding depth and clarity to the expression of actions and their underlying motivations.