nimimuotoon

Nimimuotoon is a term in Finnish grammar that refers to turning a word, typically a verb or an adjective, into its nominal form. It denotes the set of noun-like forms a word can take, produced by standard derivational processes. Nimimuotoon is commonly used in language teaching, grammar references, and dictionaries to describe the act or state represented by a word rather than a specific instance of it.

Formation often relies on suffixes and derivational patterns. From verbs, nominal forms are commonly created with the suffix -minen, which yields abstract nouns for actions (for example, kirjoittaa → kirjoittaminen, “writing”; lukea → lukeminen, “reading”). Agent nouns can be formed with -ja/-jä, as in opettaa → opettaja, “teacher.” From adjectives, abstract nouns are often formed with -us/-ys, such as suuri → suuruus, “greatness,” and kaunis → kauneus, “beauty.” Other nominalizations may use nouns derived from stems or, in some cases, the infinitive used as a noun.

Usage and function in analysis and writing are to refer to concepts or activities rather than concrete instances. Nimimuotoon forms are useful for forming noun phrases and for discussing actions or qualities in general. For example, Finnish learners may say “Lukeminen on kehittävä harrastus” to mean “Reading is a developing hobby.” In grammar references, nimimuotoon helps describe sentence structure and verbal or adjectival meaning without imposing tense or number.