Editing Finnish grammar (section)

===Infinitives===
Finnish verbs are described as having four, sometimes five [[infinitive]]s:

====First infinitive====
The '''first infinitive short form''' of a verb is the [[citation form]] found in dictionaries. It is not unmarked; its overt marking is always the suffix {{lang|fi|-a}} or {{lang|fi|-ä}}, though sometimes there are modifications (which may be regarded as stem or ending modifications depending on personal preference).

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Verb stem !! Finnish infinitive !! English infinitive
|-
| {{lang|fi|sano-}} || {{lang|fi|sanoa}} || to say
|-
| {{lang|fi|tietä-}} || {{lang|fi|tietää}} || to know
|-
| {{lang|fi|luke-}} || {{lang|fi|lukea}} || to read
|}

When the stem is itself a single syllable or is of two or more syllables ending in {{lang|fi|-oi}} or {{lang|fi|-öi}}, the suffix is {{lang|fi|-da}} or {{lang|fi|-dä}}, respectively. (This represents the historically older form of the suffix, from which the {{lang|fi|d}} has been lost in most environments.)

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Verb stem !! Finnish infinitive !! English infinitive
|-
| {{lang|fi|tuo-}} || {{lang|fi|tuoda}} || to bring
|-
| {{lang|fi|jää-}} || {{lang|fi|jäädä}} || to stay
|-
| {{lang|fi|imuroi-}} || {{lang|fi|imuroida}} || to vacuum
|-
| {{lang|fi|epäröi-}} || {{lang|fi|epäröidä}} || to hesitate
|}

If the stem ends in one of the consonants {{lang|fi|l}}, {{lang|fi|r}}, {{lang|fi|n}}, then the final consonant is doubled before adding the infinitive {{lang|fi|-a}} or {{lang|fi|-ä}}. In the case of a stem ending in the consonant {{lang|fi|s}}, the infinitive ending gains the consonant {{lang|fi|t}}, becoming {{lang|fi|-ta}} or {{lang|fi|-tä}}. (These consonant stems take a linking vowel {{lang|fi|-e-}} when forming the present tense, or {{lang|fi|-i-}} when forming the imperfect, e.g. {{lang|fi|pestä}} 'to wash': {{lang|fi|pesen}} 'I wash' : {{lang|fi|pesin}} 'I washed'). Stems ending in {{lang|fi|-ts}}, followed by a link vowel in the present or imperfect, drop the {{lang|fi|s}} from the stem before adding the infinitive marker {{lang|fi|-a}} or {{lang|fi|-ä}}.

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Verb stem !! Finnish infinitive !! English infinitive
|-
| {{lang|fi|men(e)-}} || {{lang|fi|mennä}} || to go
|-
| {{lang|fi|ol(e)-}} || {{lang|fi|olla}} || to be
|-
| {{lang|fi|pur(e)-}} || {{lang|fi|purra}} || to bite
|-
| {{lang|fi|pes(e)-}} || {{lang|fi|pestä}} || to wash
|-
| {{lang|fi|mainits(e)-}} || {{lang|fi|mainita}} || to mention
|}

Some verbs have so called "alternating stems" or multiple stems with weak-strong [[consonant gradation]] between them. It depends on the verb if the infinitive is in the strong or weak form. These have long vowel stems in the present/future tense, which already ends with {{lang|fi|-a}} or {{lang|fi|-ä}}. These verbs drop the {{lang|fi|a}} which is present in the present tense stem and replace it with {{lang|fi|-t}} in the first infinitive stem followed by the standard {{lang|fi|-a}} or {{lang|fi|-ä}} first infinitive marker. The {{lang|fi|a}} dropping to {{lang|fi|t}} weakens a preceding {{lang|fi|k}}, {{lang|fi|p}} or {{lang|fi|t}} so that a weak grade is seen in the first infinitive form. This often creates difficulties for the non-Finn when trying to determine the infinitive (in order to access the translation in a dictionary) when encountering an inflected form. Inflected forms are generally strong except when the stem ending contains a double consonant and there is only a single vowel separating this from the last stem {{lang|fi|k}}, {{lang|fi|p}} or {{lang|fi|t}}.

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Inflected Finnish !! English !! Finnish infinitive !! English infinitive !! Note
|-
| {{lang|fi|minä putoan}} || I am falling || {{lang|fi|pudota}} || to fall down || {{lang|fi|putoa-}} strong grade
|-
| {{lang|fi|minä putosin}} || I fell down || {{lang|fi|pudota}} || to fall down || {{lang|fi|putosi-}} strong grade
|-
| {{lang|fi|olen pudonnut}} || I have fallen down || {{lang|fi|pudota}} || to fall down || {{lang|fi|pudon-}} weak grade ({{lang|fi|nn}} forces weak grade)
|-
|{{lang|fi|he kokoavat}}|| they'll assemble||{{lang|fi|koota}} || to assemble || {{lang|fi|kokoa-}} strong grade
|-
| {{lang|fi|me kokoamme}} || we'll assemble||{{lang|fi|koota}} || to assemble || {{lang|fi|kokoa-}} strong grade ({{lang|fi|mm}} does not cause weakness because {{lang|fi|oa}} is not a diphthong)
|}

Some verbs lose elements of their stems when forming the first infinitive. Some verbs stem have contracted endings in the first infinitive. Stems ending {{lang|fi|-ene}}/{{lang|fi|-eni}} in the present/imperfect drop the {{lang|fi|n}} and replace it with {{lang|fi|t}}, and where applicable, trigger the weak grade in the infinitive stem. The contracted infinitive ending {{lang|fi|-eta}}/{{lang|fi|-etä}} have  {{lang|fi|-itse}}/{{lang|fi|-itsi}} verbs take the infinitive stem {{lang|fi|-ita}}/{{lang|fi|itä}}. These contracted verbs may also be subject to consonant weakening when forming the infinitive

e.g. {{lang|fi|mainita}} 'to mention' has the longer conjugated stem {{lang|fi|mainits-}} as in {{lang|fi|mainitsen huomenna, että...}} 'I'll mention tomorrow that...'

e.g. {{lang|fi|paeta}} 'to flee' has the longer conjugated stem  {{lang|fi|paken-}} as in {{lang|fi|me pakenimme Afganistanista}} 'we fled from Afghanistan'

The '''first infinitive long form''' is the translative plus a possessive suffix (rare in spoken language).

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Finnish !! English
|-
| {{lang|fi|...soitti sanoakseen...}} || '...(s/he) phoned in order to say...'
|-
| {{lang|fi|tietääksemme}} || (idiomatic) 'as far as we know'
|-
| {{lang|fi|voidakseni lukea}} || 'in order for me to be able to read'
|}

The first infinitive only has an active form.

====Second infinitive====
The second infinitive is used to express aspects of actions relating to the '''time''' when an action takes place or the '''manner''' in which an action happens.  In equivalent English phrases these time aspects can often be expressed using  "when", "while" or "whilst" and the manner aspects using the word "by" or else the gerund, which is formed by adding "-ing" to English verb to express manner.

It is recognizable by the letter {{lang|fi|e}} in place of the usual {{lang|fi|a}} or {{lang|fi|ä}} as the infinitive marker.  It is only ever used with one of two case makers; the inessive {{lang|fi|ssa/ssä}} indicating '''time''' or the instructive {{lang|fi|n}} indicating '''manner'''. Finnish phrases using the second infinitive can often be rendered in English using the gerund.

The second infinitive is formed by replacing the final {{lang|fi|a/ä}} of the first infinitive with {{lang|fi|e}} then adding the appropriate inflectional ending. If the vowel before the {{lang|fi|a/ä}} is already an {{lang|fi|e}}, this becomes {{lang|fi|i}} (see example from {{lang|fi|lukea}} 'to read').

The cases in which the second infinitive can appear are:

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Second infinitive
|-
! Finnish !! English
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" colspan="2" | Active inessive (while someone is in the act of)
|-
| {{lang|fi|tehdessä}} || 'when doing'
|-
| {{lang|fi|sanoessa}} || 'when saying'
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" colspan="2" | Active inessive + possessive suffix (while themselves in the act of)
|-
| {{lang|fi|lukiessaan}} || 'while he is/was reading'
|-
| {{lang|fi|sanoessasi}} ||'while you are/were saying'
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" colspan="2" | Passive inessive (when or while in the act of something being done)
|-
| {{lang|fi|sanottaessa}} || 'when saying'
|-
| {{lang|fi|tehtäessä}} || 'when doing'
|-
| {{lang|fi|luettaessa}} || 'when reading'
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" colspan="2" | Active instructive (by means of/while in the act of)
|-
| {{lang|fi|tehden}} || 'by doing'
|-
| {{lang|fi|sanoen}} || 'by saying'
|-
| {{lang|fi|lukien}} || 'by reading'
|-
| {{lang|fi|hän tuli itkien huoneeseen}} || 'she came into the room crying'
|}

The inessive form is mostly seen in written forms of language because spoken forms usually express the same idea in longer form using two clauses linked by the word {{lang|fi|kun}} ("when"). The instructive is even rarer and mostly exists nowadays in [[set phrase]]s (for example {{lang|fi|toisin sanoen}} = 'in other words').

If the person performing the action of the verb is the same as the person in the equivalent relative clause, then the verb uses the appropriate personal possessive suffix on the verb for the person. If the person in the main clause is different from that in the relative clause then this is indicated by with the person in the genitive and the verb is unmarked for person.

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Second infinitive inessive
! Equivalent {{lang|fi|kun}} phrase
! English translation
|-
| {{lang|fi|ollessani Englannissa kävin monessa pubissa}}
| {{lang|fi|kun olin Englannissa, kävin monessa pubissa}}
| when I was in England, I went into many pubs
|-
| {{lang|fi|ollessaan Englannissa he kävivät monessa pubissa}}
| {{lang|fi|kun he olivat Englannissa, he kävivät monessa pubissa}}
| when they were in England, they went into many pubs
|-
| {{lang|fi|Jaakon ollessa Englannissa Laura meni Espanjaan}}
| {{lang|fi|Kun Jaakko oli Englannissa, Laura meni Espanjaan}}
| when Jaakko was in England, Laura went to Spain
|}

====Third infinitive====
This corresponds to the [[English gerund]] ("verb + -ing" form), and behaves as a noun in Finnish in that it can be inflected, but only in a limited number of cases. It is used to refer to a particular act or occasion of the verb's action.

The third infinitive is formed by taking the verb stem with its consonant in the strong form, then adding {{lang|fi|ma}} followed by the case inflection.

The cases in which the third infinitive can appear are:

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Case !! Finnish !! English
|-
| rowspan="2" | inessive || {{lang|fi|lukema'''ssa'''}} || '('''in''' the act of) reading'
|-
| Example: {{lang|fi|hän on lukema'''ssa''' kirjasto'''ssa'''}} || 's/he's reading '''in''' the library'
|-
|elative || {{lang|fi|lukema'''sta'''}} || '('''from''' just having been) reading'
|-
|illative || {{lang|fi|lukema'''an'''}} || '(about '''to be''' / with the intention of) reading'
|-
|adessive || {{lang|fi|lukema'''lla'''}} || '('''by''') reading'
|-
|abessive || {{lang|fi|lukema'''tta'''}} || '('''without''') reading'
|}

A rare and archaic form of the third infinitive which occurs with the verb {{lang|fi|pitää}}:

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Case !! Finnish !! English
|-
| instructive || {{lang|fi|sinun ei pidä lukeman}} || 'you must not read'
|}

The third infinitive instructive is usually replaced with the first infinitive short form in modern Finnish.

Note that the {{lang|fi|-ma}} form without a case ending is called the 'agent participle' (see [[#Participles]] below). The agent participle can also be inflected in all cases, producing forms which look similar to the third infinitive.

====Fourth infinitive====
The fourth infinitive has the stem ending {{lang|fi|-minen}} and indicates obligation, but it is quite rare in Finnish today. This is because there are other words like {{lang|fi|pitää}} and {{lang|fi|täytyy}} that can convey this meaning.

For example

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Fourth Infinitive
|-
! Finnish !! English
|-
| {{lang|fi|Sinne ei ole menemistä}} || 'There is no going there' i.e. 'One must not go there'
|}

Though not an infinitive, a much more common {{lang|fi|-minen}} verbal stem ending is the noun construct which gives the name of the activity described by the verb. This is rather similar to the English verbal noun '-ing' form, and therefore as a noun, this form can inflect just like any other noun.

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ {{lang|fi|-minen}} noun formation
|-
! Finnish !! English
|-
| {{lang|fi|lukeminen on hauskaa}} || 'reading is fun'
|-
| {{lang|fi|vihaan lukemista}} || 'I hate reading'
|-
| {{lang|fi|nautin lukemisesta}} || 'I enjoy reading'
|}

====Fifth infinitive====
This is a fairly rare form which has the meaning 'on the point of ...ing / just about to ...'

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
|+ Fifth infinitive
|-
! Finnish !! English
|-
| {{lang|fi|olin lukemaisillani}} || 'I was just about to read'
|}