Translative With an Owner

Level 4

The translative case (-ksi) changes to -kse- when a possessive suffix is added. It expresses that something becomes yours, serves your specific purpose, or is evaluated relative to you.

How It Works

This pattern is used in four primary ways:

1. Translative of State or Role: Expressing that something is taken, felt, or becomes one's own. Common verbs include ottaa (to take) and kokea (to experience/feel).
Example: Hän otti koiran omakseen. (He took the dog as his own).

2. Purpose Clauses (1st Infinitive): The translative form of a verb (the 'final construction') expresses 'in order to'. This form must always have a possessive suffix.
Example: Menen ulos kävelläkseni. (I go out in order to walk).

3. Standard of Comparison: Evaluating a quality relative to a person's state, most commonly with age (ikäisekseen).

4. Fixed Adverbs: Many common adverbs use this structure, such as itsekseen (by oneself) or yksikseen (alone).

Morphology:

  • The translative -ksi becomes -kse-.
  • Add the suffix: -ni, -si, -mme, -nne.
  • For the 3rd person, the prescribed standard in Standard Finnish is the 'short form': a lengthened vowel + n (e.g., omakseen, syödäkseen).

Register Note: In spoken Finnish, the suffix is often dropped. If it is dropped in the 1st or 2nd person, the genitive pronoun (mun, sun) is mandatory (e.g., mun omaksi). For the 3rd person, the genitive sen or niiden is used (e.g., sen omaksi).

Examples (6)

  1. Hän otti löytökissan omakseen.

    He took the stray cat as his own.

    Word by Word: He took stray-cat as-own-his.

    The translative 'omaksi' becomes 'omakseen' to show the cat became his personal possession, a subset of the translative of state.

  2. Hän lähti kauppaan ostaakseen maitoa.

    He went to the store in order to buy milk.

    Word by Word: He left to-store to-buy-his milk.

    The translative of the first infinitive (ostaakseen) expresses purpose and always requires a possessive suffix.

  3. Isoisä on todella pirteä ikäisekseen.

    Grandfather is really brisk for his age.

    Word by Word: Grandfather is really brisk for-age-his.

    The suffix -en is used here to evaluate his health relative to his specific age.

  4. Monet kokevat tämän asian omakseen.

    Many feel this matter is their own.

    Word by Word: Many feel this matter as-own-their.

    The verb 'kokea' (to experience/feel) is frequently used with the translative and a suffix to show personal connection.

  5. Lapsi leikkii itsekseen huoneessa.

    The child is playing by themselves in the room.

    Word by Word: Child plays by-self-their in-room.

    The adverb 'itsekseen' (by oneself) is a high-frequency fixed expression using this pattern.

  6. Oletko jo ottanut tavaksesi herätä aikaisin?

    Have you already made it your habit to wake up early?

    Word by Word: Have-you already taken as-habit-your to-wake-up early?

    The idiom 'ottaa tavakseen' (to take as one's habit) requires the translative and a possessive suffix.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to change -ksi to -kse- before the suffix.

    Hän otti sen omaksinsa.
    Hän otti sen omakseen.

    The translative ending must always use the -kse- stem when a possessive suffix follows.

  • Using the wrong person suffix for the subject.

    Minä otin koiran omakseen.
    Minä otin koiran omakseni.

    The possessive suffix must agree with the subject of the sentence (1st person 'minä' requires '-ni').

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Translative With an OwnerLevel 4

Learn This First

To understand the 'translative with a possessive suffix' pattern, you first need to be familiar with the translative case (-ksi) and how possessive suffixes function. Crucially, you must understand how the translative ending changes from -ksi to -kse- when a suffix is added.

Words in This Pattern

-ksi