soittamaan

Soittamaan is the second infinitive form of the Finnish verb soittaa, which broadly means to play (an instrument) or to ring a phone. The second infinitive is a non-finite verb form used in specific grammatical constructions, and it is written as soittamaan in this case.

In Finnish grammar, the second infinitive (ending in -maan or -mään) is used to express purpose or intention, often after verbs of movement or acts of coming and going. It functions to indicate the action that will be performed when the subject reaches a destination or when the action is planned. For example, phrases like mennä soittamaan (to go to play) or tulla soittamaan (to come to play) show the pattern of using the second infinitive to specify the intended activity.

The form is relatively common in everyday Finnish, especially in spoken language, though in more formal contexts speakers may prefer constructions using the first infinitive or other grammatical devices. The second infinitive is inflected for number only when needed by surrounding syntax and is otherwise invariable, with the suffix alternating as -maan or -mään according to vowel harmony. Soittamaan specifically uses the -maan variant.

Related concepts include the first infinitive soittaa (the basic verb form) and the noun soittaminen (the act of playing). While soittamaan retains a role tied to the activity of playing or performing, its use as a second infinitive is a matter of syntactic function rather than a change in meaning.