Translatiiviin

Translatiiviin is the illative form of the Finnish noun translatiivi, a grammatical term referring to the translative case in Finnish. The translatiivinen case denotes a change of state or becoming something. In everyday Finnish, this idea is most often expressed with the suffix -ksi, yielding forms such as kissaksi (into a cat) and opettajaksi (into a teacher).

In linguistic discussion, translatiiviin is used when referring to the translatiivi category itself in the illative mood, for example in phrases about grammar rules or terminology. For instance, translatiiviin liittyvät säännöt means “rules relating to the translative.” This usage is typical in grammars, textbooks, and discussions about Finnish case systems, rather than in ordinary speech.

Common everyday use of the translatiivi is to express becoming in predicates with the verb tulla or muuttua, as in Hänestä tuli opettaja (He became a teacher) or Hän muuttui opettajaksi. The translatiivi thus functions as a way to mark the new state or identity into which someone or something is entering, and its illative form (translatiiviin) is encountered primarily in linguistic or meta-linguistic contexts.

Notes on form and style: Finnish case inflection is intricate and varies with stem shape and vowel harmony. Translatiivi forms are most recognizable in the -ksi/-ksi- forms for becoming and in phrases discussing the case itself where illative forms like translatiiviin appear. See also translatiivi, Finnish cases, and essiivi for related concepts.