pysyäksensä

The Finnish word "pysyäksensä" is a complex grammatical form that expresses the purpose or intention of staying. It is a derived form of the verb "pysyä," which means "to stay," "to remain," or "to last." The suffix "-kse-" indicates an infinitive construction, and "-nsä" is a possessive suffix, meaning "his/her/its/their." Therefore, "pysyäksensä" can be translated as "in order for him/her/its/their to stay" or "to stay for himself/herself/itself/themselves."

This form is typically used in subordinate clauses to explain the reason or goal behind an action taken by the subject. For example, one might say "Hän puhui hiljaa pysyäksensä huomaamatta" which translates to "He spoke quietly in order to stay unnoticed." In this sentence, "pysyäksensä" explains the purpose of speaking quietly. The possessive suffix "nsä" agrees with the subject of the main clause, which in this case is "hän" (he).

The structure "verb stem + -kse- + possessive suffix" is a common way to form purpose clauses in Finnish, particularly when the subject of the subordinate clause is the same as the subject of the main clause. While it might seem complicated to non-native speakers, understanding this construction is key to comprehending many nuanced expressions of intent in the Finnish language. It highlights the agglutinative nature of Finnish grammar, where multiple grammatical functions are conveyed through suffixes attached to a base word.