molemmattavat

Molemmattavat is a Finnish term that can be translated as "both ways" or "reversible." It is primarily used in a grammatical context to describe a noun that can function as either a partitive or a genitive depending on the sentence's meaning. This grammatical feature is relatively uncommon in Finnish and typically applies to a small set of nouns, often related to abstract concepts or certain measurements.

For example, the word "viini" (wine) can be used in the partitive case as "viiniä" to indicate an indefinite amount (e.g., "Juon viiniä" - I am drinking wine). However, in certain constructions, it can also take a genitive form that functions similarly to the partitive. The distinction is subtle and often hinges on whether the noun refers to a specific, countable entity or a more general, uncountable substance. Understanding molemmattavat requires a nuanced grasp of Finnish case usage and the specific contexts in which these dual-function nouns appear. There are no strict rules for identifying all molemmattavat words, and their usage is often learned through exposure to the language.