Taivutussarja

Taivutussarja is a term used in Finnish grammar to describe the inflectional pattern a word follows. It refers to the set of endings and potential stem changes that determine how the word is formed in different grammatical forms. In practice, taivutussarja captures the regularities in how words shift shape to express features such as case, number, mood, tense, and person.

In the case of nouns and adjectives, a taivutussarja specifies the endings used for each case and number. The patterns may involve consonant or vowel alternations (gradations) and sometimes stem modifications. While many everyday words follow common patterns, some belong to irregular or mixed taivutussarjat that require special attention.

For verbs, taivutussarja (often described as a conjugation class) determines how the verb changes across person and number as well as tense and mood. Finnish verbs are grouped into several taivutussarjat that indicate the available endings and any standard stem changes, such as vowel harmony or consonant gradation. This classification helps learners predict forms such as present and past tense, potential, passive voice, and participles.

Dictionaries and grammar resources frequently label entries with their taivutussarja to facilitate correct inflection. The concept emphasizes patterns and regularities in inflection rather than memorizing every form for every word. See also Finnish grammar, declension, and conjugation.