Verb as a noun: ma-infinitive
Infinitives are verb forms, which don't conjugate in person. There are 5 infinitives in total (see an article about the 1st infinitive). The third infinitive (or ma-infinitive) behave like nouns and can have location case endings.
- Missä olit? Olin lukemassa.
- Where were you? I was reading.
- Minne menet? Menen nukkumaan.
- Where do you go? I'll go to sleep.
- Mistä tulet? Tulen pelaamasta.
- Where are you coming from? I'm coming from the game (playing).
- Tule pelaamaan meidän kanssa krokettia!
- Come to play croquet with us!
Ma-infinitive is formed from the stem of the 3rd person plural by adding -ma/-mä + case ending. It can have inessive, elative and illative case, and thus it answers the question where?, where to? and from where?
luke-vat -> | lukemassa lukemasta lukemaan |
nukku-vat -> | nukkumassa nukkumasta nukkumaan |
pelaa-vat-> | pelaamassa pelaamasta pelaamaan |
Adessive and abessive
Ma-infinitive can also be in the adessive or abessive case.
Adessive case with the ma-infinitive answers the question how?, and it can be translated "by doing something".
- Harjoittelemalla oppii.
- You learn by practising.
- Osallistumalla voit voittaa.
- You can win by participating.
Abessive case means without.
- Istu siinä puhumatta.
- Sit there without speaking.
- Minun pitää olla syömättä ja juomatta.
- I must be without eating or drinking.
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