Valitsema

Valitsema is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the verb valita, meaning to choose. In usage it functions as a past active participle form that can be used adjectivally to describe a noun, often conveying the sense “the one that was chosen” or “the chosen.” It is frequently seen in constructions where the participle is combined with possessive suffixes to form phrases like valitsemani, valitsemasi, or valitsemansa, which indicate who performed the choosing or who chose the noun that follows.

Morphology and usage examples

The base form valitsema appears in compound forms that express specific relationships between the speaker and the object. Common examples include:

- valitsemani kirja = the book I chose

- valitsemasi ohjelma = the program you chose

- valitsemansa ohjelma = the program he/she chose

These forms show how the past active participle (valitsema) uses the possessive suffixes to specify subject or person involved in the choosing. The head noun remains in its usual case, and the participial form provides evaluative or referential meaning about selection.

Relation to related forms

Valitsema should be distinguished from other Finnish participles. The present active participle valitseva means “choosing” and is used to describe ongoing action. The past passive participle valittu means “chosen” and typically emphasizes the result rather than the agent. Valitsema and its possessive compounds function stylistically to compress a relative clause into a single noun phrase, often making statements more concise or expressing the speaker’s perspective on the chosen item.

In summary, valitsema is a key Finnish participial form that conveys that something has been chosen, and it forms various possessive constructions to indicate who chose or which item was chosen.