ettäväsuffixistä

Ettäväsuffixi is a Finnish suffix that indicates ability or fitness to be acted upon. It is typically translated as "to be able to" or "fit for." This suffix is attached to the infinitive form of a verb. For example, the verb syödä (to eat) becomes syötävä (edible), meaning something that is able to be eaten. Similarly, luettava (readable) is derived from lukea (to read), and kirjoitettava (writable) from kirjoittaa (to write).

The ettäväsuffixi can also express necessity or obligation in certain contexts, similar to the English "must be done" or "should be done." For instance, this task must be completed could be expressed as tämä tehtävä on tehtävä. The specific nuance often depends on the surrounding sentence structure and context.

It is important to distinguish the ettäväsuffixi from the passive past participle, which often looks identical but functions differently grammatically. While both forms may appear to denote something that has been acted upon, the ettäväsuffixi primarily focuses on the potential or fitness for action, whereas the passive past participle describes the result of an action that has already occurred. Understanding this distinction is key to accurate interpretation of Finnish verb forms.