essiivissä

Essiivi, commonly referred to as the essive case, is one of the Finnish noun cases used to express a state of being or a role. In English, it is often rendered with the word "as" or "in the capacity of." The essive typically describes how someone or something is functioning or existing at a given time, especially in relation to the verb olla (to be).

Formation and forms

The essive is formed by adding the suffix -na or -nä to the noun stem, with vowel harmony affecting the choice of suffix: -na after back vowels, -nä after front vowels. For example: opettaja → opettajana (as a teacher), lapsi → lapsena (as a child), nuori → nuorena (as a young person). The suffix attaches to the base form, and in many cases the result is a single word that expresses a temporary state or role.

Usage

The essive commonly occurs with olla to indicate a current state or role, such as "Hän on opettajana" (He/She is a teacher). It can also express a temporary condition in phrases like "Nuorena hän oli rohkea" (As a young person, he/she was brave). The essive contrasts with other cases that denote becoming (translative -ksi, as in "opettajaksi" for becoming a teacher) or location or source (inessive, elative, etc.). It is used for states or roles that are true during the described time frame, rather than permanent identities.

Examples

Hän on opettajana. They act as a teacher. Olen opiskelijana. I am a student. Nuorena olin paljon seikkailunhaluinen. When I was young, I was adventurous. Pelkurina hän ei ollut todellakaan pelkuri, mutta essiivi-tilassa sitä voi käyttää e.g., "pelkurina."