tekemälle

Tekemälle is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the verb tehdä (to do) through the related noun tekeminen or teko (act, deed). In linguistic descriptions it is described as an allative form, meaning it marks a direction toward something or a beneficiary in contexts where the action is framed as aimed at or for that act. In practice the rough translation of tekemälle is “to the act of doing” or “for doing,” depending on the surrounding wording.

Morphologically, tekemälle belongs to the category of nominalized or deverbal forms that can take case-like suffixes. The allative suffix -lle signals direction toward or for something, which in this case is tied to the concept of action or deed rather than a concrete object. The result is a form that appears primarily in formal, scholarly, or archaic-language descriptions of Finnish, rather than in everyday speech.

Usage notes and alternatives:

In modern Finnish, the usage of tekemälle is relatively rare outside linguistic discussion. When expressing purpose or beneficiary more naturally, speakers tend to use phrases such as tekoa varten (for the act/deed), tekemisen vuoksi (because of doing/doing), or other periphrastic constructions that convey the same idea without relying on this specialized form. Tekemälle often appears in grammars, dictionaries, or academic analyses of Finnish morphology rather than in quotidian prose.

See also:

Finnish grammar, Finnish inflection, allative case, nominalization, teÎä.