Tiedostona

Tiedostona is the essive form of the Finnish noun tiedosto, meaning a file or document. In Finnish grammar, the essive case is used to express a temporary state or role, roughly corresponding to “as a …” or “in the form of …” in English. Therefore tiedostona means “as a file” or “in the form of a file.”

The form is created by adding the essive suffix -na/-nä to the noun stem tiedosto. In singular use it becomes tiedostona; in plural, the form would be tiedostoina to mean “as files.” The choice of case depends on the intended meaning, such as presenting something in a file format or describing a role.

In practical use, tiedostona appears frequently in computing, digital documents, and user interfaces. It is common in phrases like “lähetä raportti tiedostona” (send the report as a file) or “tiedostoja voidaan käsitellä tiedostona” (files can be handled as a file). The suffix highlights the item’s current presentation or function rather than a permanent transformation.

Relation to other forms is notable: other cases of tiedosto, such as tiedostoksi (translative) or tiedostona (essive), convey different nuances. Tiedostoksi can imply becoming or designation as a file, for example in conversions or assignments, whereas tiedostona emphasizes the current state.

See also: Finnish language, Finnish grammar, essive case, translative case.