Vaaralliseksi

Vaaralliseksi is the translative form of the Finnish adjective vaarallinen, meaning dangerous. In Finnish grammar, the translative case (-ksi) marks a change of state or transformation into something, roughly corresponding to the English “to become” or “into.”

Usage and function

Vaaralliseksi is used with verbs that describe a change of state, most commonly with tulla and muuttua (to become, to change). It denotes that something has entered a dangerous condition or quality. It is not used to describe a current state with a simple predicate; for that, the base adjective vorm would be vaarallinen (The situation is dangerous). Examples of proper use include disseminating a sense of transition: tilanne muuttui vaaralliseksi (the situation became dangerous), and tämä voi muuttua vaaralliseksi (this may become dangerous).

Formation and spelling

The form vaaralliseksi is formed by taking the stem of vaarallinen and adding the translative suffix -ksi, with the usual consonant and spelling adjustments for Finnish phonology, resulting in vaaralliseksi. The double-l and other consonant patterns reflect the underlying stem vaarall- in this adjective.

Related uses

Besides muuttua and tulla, other verbs that can take a translative adjective include käydä (becoming) and osoittautua (proving to be), as in tilanne kävi vaaralliseksi or tilanne osoittautui vaaralliseksi. The translative emphasizes transformation rather than a static property.

Etymology

Vaarallinen derives from vaara (danger) with the adjectival suffix -llinen; the translative form vaaralliseksi is a regular extension of that stem in the -ksi form.

See also

Finnish translative case, Finnish grammar, adjectives in Finnish.