infixkäyttöä

Infixkäyttöä refers to the common practice in Finnish of using a verb in its infinitive form followed by a possessive suffix to express an action or state performed by a specific person. This construction is particularly prevalent in informal speech and writing, often replacing more formal or complex grammatical structures. For example, instead of saying "Haluan, että menen kotiin" (I want that I go home), one might say "Haluan mennäni kotiin" (I want my going home). The infinitive verb "mennä" (to go) is combined with the first-person possessive suffix "-ni" to indicate that the subject of the infinitive is "I".

This grammatical feature allows for concise expression of subjective desires, intentions, or perceptions. It can be observed with various verbs, such as "tietää" (to know), "luulla" (to think/suppose), and "nähdä" (to see). The possessive suffix attached to the infinitive agrees in person and number with the subject of the main clause. For instance, "Hän haluaa hänen lähtevän pian" (He wants his leaving soon) uses the third-person singular suffix "-nsä" with the infinitive "lähteä" (to leave). While common, infixkäyttöä is generally considered less formal than using subordinate clauses with personal pronouns. Its use is primarily idiomatic and deeply ingrained in spoken Finnish.