partatiiviksi

Partatiiviksi is a term used in Finnish grammar to refer to the translative form that expresses becoming or turning into something, often described as “into the partitive” in linguistic discussions. It is formed with the translative suffix -ksi on the stem of a word, producing forms such as koira -> koiraksi or opettaja -> opettajaksi. The exact spelling can vary depending on the word’s stem and vowel harmony, as with other translatives in Finnish.

In practice, partatiiviksi is primarily a topic in descriptive grammar and language instruction. It is used when discussing how a word can denote a change of state or function: for example, koira becomes koiraksi (into a dog) or opettaja becomes opettajaksi (into a teacher). The translative is commonly attested with verbs that express becoming or transformation, such as tulla, muuttua, ryhtyä, and kehittyä. It is important to note that in everyday Finnish, many speakers prefer constructions with the nominative or other cases (for example, minusta tuli opettaja, “I became a teacher”) rather than stressing the translative form.

Partatiiviksi therefore sits at the intersection of morphology and syntax as an example of the translative case’s function: to mark a change of state or role in a sentence. It is distinct from the partitiivi case itself, which marks incomplete quantity or partial objects, and is typically discussed together with other case forms in Finnish grammar resources.

See also: Finnish grammar; Partitiivi; Translatiivinen (translative case).