interrogatiivisen

Interrogatiivisen is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective interrogatiivinen, meaning “interrogative” or “relating to questions.” It is used in noun phrases to describe elements that pertain to questioning, for example in discussions of interrogative words, phrases, or sentences such as “interrogatiivisen sanan käyttö” (the use of an interrogative word) or “interrogatiivisen lauseen merkitys” (the meaning of an interrogative sentence).

In Finnish grammar, interrogatives are words that introduce questions. The broader category is often called kysymyssanat or interrogatiiviset sanat and includes different word classes: interrogatiiviset pronominit (kuka, ketkä, mikä, mitä), interrogatiiviset adverbit (missä, milloin, miksi, kuinka), and interrogatiiviset determiners or adjectives (which, what kind). These words form or modify questions and can stand in various syntactic positions depending on the question type.

Interrogative sentences, or interrogatiiviset lauseet, are used to obtain information. They can be opened with question words or formed as yes–no questions using the particle -ko/-kö attached to a word (for example, tuletko? Tuletko pitkäksi aikaa?), often accompanied by rising intonation in spoken Finnish.

Morphology-wise, interrogatiivinen behaves like other Finnish adjectives. Its inflected forms include genitive singular interrogatiivisen, partitive interrogatiivista, and others, which appear in phrases such as “interrogatiivisen sanan,” “interrogatiivisesta lauseesta,” and so on.

See also: interrogatiiviset sanat, kysymyssanat, yes-no questions.