tahattomina

tahattomina is a Finnish adverb that translates literally to “without intention” or “unintentionally.” The word is derived from the noun tahattomuus, which denotes a lack of desire or volition, combined with the adverbial suffix –na. In common usage the adverb expresses an action performed accidentally or without deliberate planning. It is often contrasted with tahallisesti, the adverb meaning “intentionally.”

The form tahattomina can appear in various syntactic positions, typically following a subject and a verb, for example: *Hän iski tuulipilvet tahattomina* (He threw the clouds unintentionally). In written Finnish, it is employed in narrative contexts to highlight unintended consequences or accidental acts. While the word is relatively common in colloquial speech, it also appears in literary works, especially in descriptive passages that underscore the lack of agency in the protagonist’s actions.

Tahattomina is not a noun or adjective; it functions as an adverb that modifies verbs and verb phrases. In Finnish grammar it is considered a pure adverbial form with a negated sense of agency. Because of its semantic proximity to the causal and modal adverb tahattomasti, the two are sometimes used interchangeably, albeit tahattomasti is slightly more formal.

The term is an example of Finnish morphological productivity, illustrating how a noun base can be turned into an adverb that conveys a nuanced psychological state.