finitelauseen

Finitelauseen, or finite clause, is a clause whose predicate is finite, meaning the verb is marked for tense and agrees with the subject. This term is used in Finnish grammar to distinguish clauses that carry tense and person information from non-finite clauses, which use non-finite verb forms such as infinitives or participles.

Finitelauseet can function as both independent main clauses and embedded subordinate clauses within larger sentences. They can express statements, questions, or commands. In subordinate use, finite clauses are often introduced by conjunctions such as että (that), kun (when), jos (if), or vaikka (even if). Relative finite clauses can be formed with pronouns like joka (that/which) or mitä (what). Finnish finite verbs encode person and number and can express past or present tense, mood (indicative, interrogative, imperative), and negation, typically with a separate negation marker such as ei.

Examples illustrate the range of finite clauses. Main clause: Minä syön omenan. (I eat an apple.) Subordinate clause: Hän sanoi, että hän tulee. (He said that he will come.) Interrogative clause: Onko hän kotona? (Is he at home?) Relative clause: Kirja, jonka luin, oli mielenkiintoinen. (The book that I read was interesting.) These examples show how the finite verb forms convey tense, modality, and agreement with subject.

Finitelauseen on vastakohta non-finitelauseelle, which contains non-finite verb forms such as infinitives or participles and cannot by itself express full tense or person. Non-finite clauses are often used for adverbial or nominal purposes, while finitely clauses provide the main verbal content in a sentence. In Finnish syntax, the distinction between finite and non-finite clauses is central to understanding sentence structure and subordination.