intransatiivisen

In Finnish linguistics, intransitiivinen means intransitive. The genitive singular form of the adjective is typically intransitiivisen in standard Finnish, used when describing a verb as intransitiivinen verbi. The concept is part of transitivity (valency), which classifies verbs by how many participants they require. An intransitiivinen verbi has only one core argument—the subject—and does not take a direct object.

Examples help illustrate the distinction. An intransitive sentence is Kissa nukkui, meaning the cat slept; there is no object. A transitive sentence is Hän söi omenan, meaning he ate an apple; the verb takes a direct object. Some Finnish verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively depending on meaning or context. For instance, puhua can be intransitive when speaking in general terms (puhuu), or transitive when specifying what is spoken (puhua suomea, to speak Finnish).

In practice, transitivity interacts with Finnish case marking. Transitive verbs typically accompany a direct object in the appropriate case, while intransitive verbs do not require a direct object. Many verbs are ambitransitive, changing valency with usage. The label intransitiivinen is therefore a grammatical description rather than a fixed property of every usage of the verb.

See also transitivity (linguistics), Finnish grammar, and valency.