Rakentavalla

Rakentavalla is the adessive singular form of the Finnish adjective rakentava, meaning constructive or building-up. The word is used to describe something that aims to improve, develop, or contribute positively in a situation. In everyday Finnish, rakentavalla commonly appears with nouns in the adessive case to express manner, instrument, or context, for example rakentavalla palautteella (with constructive feedback) or rakentavalla tavalla (in a constructive manner).

Semantics and usage

Rakentava describes positive, future-oriented input or actions that help growth or problem-solving, rather than merely criticizing. The adessive form rakentavalla is a grammatical concord of the adjective with a following noun in the adessive case, or it can appear in fixed expressions where the target is expressed in the adessive, such as ways or means of acting constructively. It is often found in discussions about feedback, communication, and collaborative work.

Common constructions

- rakentava palaute (constructive feedback) with the noun in the partitive or nominative

- rakentavalla tavalla (in a constructive manner)

- rakentavassa hengessä (in a constructive spirit)

- hän antaa rakentavaa/ rakentavalla otteella palautetta (with constructive feedback or in a constructive approach)

Notes

Rakentava is closely related to phrases emphasizing improvement and problem-solving. The form rakentavalla is not a separate lexical item but a grammatical manifestation used to fit the sentence’s case and number, ensuring that the adjective agrees with the noun it modifies in mood and function.

See also

Rakentava, palaute, adessiivi, Finnish grammar.