verbiä

Verbiä is the partitive singular form of the Finnish noun verbi, which means “verb.” In Finnish, many nouns take the partitive case in contexts that express indefiniteness, negation, or partial emphasis, and verbiä is the form used when referring to a verb in a non-specific sense or in negated constructions.

In practice, verbiä appears most often when the object of a sentence is indefinite or when discussing a verb in a general sense. For example, En tarvitse verbiä tässä lauseessa means “I do not need a verb in this sentence.” Another common use is in general statements about verbs, such as Verbiä käytetään usein kuvaamaan toimintaa, meaning “A verb is often used to describe an action.”

Verbiä is distinct from verbit, which is the nominative plural of verbi meaning “verbs,” and from verbejä, the partitive plural. The form you choose depends on number and grammatical role within the sentence, in accordance with Finnish grammar rules. The partitive singular verbiä is typically chosen in negated clauses or when the object is treated as an indefinite item.

Etymology traces verbiä back to the Finnish word verbi, meaning “verb.” It shares cognates across related Uralic languages through the common concept of a verb as a part of speech.

See also: Finnish grammar, Partitive case, Verbi.