Tarkoitusilmauksella

Tarkoitusilmauksella is a Finnish linguistic term used to describe a class of expressions that state the purpose or aim of an action. In descriptive Finnish grammar, the term refers to purpose expressions that function as adverbial modifiers in a sentence, indicating why something is done or what it is intended to achieve. These expressions can be realized in several ways and are commonly associated with more formal or written Finnish.

Typical realizations include noun phrases in the instrumental/adessive sense such as tarkoituksella (with the purpose of) and related constructions like tarkoituksena (as the intention) or phrases formed to express aim. Purpose expressions may appear after the main verb or clause and can be accompanied by subordinate clauses introduced by jotta or other linking forms, depending on the syntactic style of the sentence. While tarkoitusilmauksella often conveys a direct aim, it can also express broader purposes or motives behind an action.

In practice, tarkoitusilmauksella helps linguists categorize how Finnish signals purpose without changing the verb’s mood or tense. It is closely related to concepts such as tarkoituslause (a purpose clause) and other purpose-related expressions. The term appears mainly in grammar guides and language-education materials and may not be uniformly used across all grammars; some resources cover these ideas under a broader discussion of purpose expressions or illocutionary adjuncts.

Examples illustrating the idea involve sentences where the purpose is explicit, such as phrases meaning “with the aim of” or “in order to,” which can be rendered in Finnish through tarkoituksella or equivalent purpose expressions.