Fourth and Fifth Infinitives in Finnish

Overview

Beyond the three main infinitives, Finnish has two additional infinitive forms: the 4th infinitive and the 5th infinitive. At the B1 level, these forms complete your understanding of the Finnish infinitive system. The 4th infinitive expresses the action itself as a noun (similar to English gerunds like "reading" or "swimming"), while the 5th infinitive indicates that an action is about to happen or on the verge of happening.

Both forms are less common than the 1st-3rd infinitives but appear regularly in everyday Finnish. The 4th infinitive is particularly important because it shows up in constructions like "reading is fun" or "swimming is my hobby." The 5th infinitive is a distinctive Finnish construction with no direct English equivalent.

How It Works

4th Infinitive (-minen)

The 4th infinitive turns a verb into a noun (verbal noun). It is formed by adding -minen to the verb stem:

Verb	4th infinitive	English
lukea	lukeminen	reading
puhua	puhuminen	speaking
uida	uiminen	swimming
syödä	syöminen	eating
tulla	tuleminen	coming
opiskella	opiskeleminen	studying

The -minen form declines like any -nen noun:

Case	Example	English
Nominative	lukeminen	reading
Genitive	lukemisen	of reading
Partitive	lukemista	reading (partitive)
Inessive	lukemisessa	in reading

Uses of the 4th infinitive

Pattern	Example	English
Subject	Lukeminen on hauskaa.	Reading is fun.
Object	Pidän lukemisesta.	I like reading.
With adjective	Uiminen on terveellistä.	Swimming is healthy.
After verbs	Aloitan lukemisen.	I start reading.

5th Infinitive (-maisillaan)

The 5th infinitive expresses being "about to" or "on the verge of" doing something. It is formed with -maisilla- plus a possessive suffix:

Person	Form (kaatua = to fall)	English
minä	kaatumaisillani	about to fall (I)
sinä	kaatumaisillasi	about to fall (you)
hän	kaatumaisillaan	about to fall (he/she)
me	kaatumaisillamme	about to fall (we)
te	kaatumaisillanne	about to fall (you pl.)
he	kaatumaisillaan	about to fall (they)

Uses of the 5th infinitive

Example	English
Olin kaatumaisillani.	I was about to fall.
Hän oli itkemäisillään.	He/She was on the verge of crying.
Olimme lähtemäisillämme.	We were about to leave.
Auto oli rikkoutumaisillaan.	The car was about to break down.

Examples in Context

Finnish	English	Note
Lukeminen on harrastukseni.	Reading is my hobby.	4th inf. as subject
Uiminen on terveellistä.	Swimming is healthy.	4th inf. as subject
Pidän lukemisesta.	I like reading.	4th inf. in elative
Oppiminen vie aikaa.	Learning takes time.	4th inf. as subject
Olin kaatumaisillani jäällä.	I was about to fall on the ice.	5th infinitive
Hän oli nauramaisillaan.	He/She was about to laugh.	5th infinitive
Juokseminen on hyvää liikuntaa.	Running is good exercise.	4th inf. as subject
Puhumisen oppii puhumalla.	You learn speaking by speaking.	4th inf. genitive
Olimme jo lähtemäisillämme.	We were already about to leave.	5th infinitive
Tanssiminen on hauskaa!	Dancing is fun!	4th inf. as subject

Common Mistakes

Confusing 4th infinitive with 3rd infinitive

• Wrong: Using lukemassa when meaning "reading (as a noun)"
• Right: Use lukeminen for the noun concept, lukemassa for "in the act of reading"
• Why: The 4th infinitive (-minen) creates a true noun. The 3rd infinitive inessive (-massa) describes an ongoing action at a location.

Forgetting to decline the 4th infinitive

• Wrong: Pidän lukeminen. (nominative with a verb that requires elative)
• Right: Pidän lukemisesta.
• Why: Since -minen forms are nouns, they must be in the correct case as required by the verb or sentence structure.

Overusing the 5th infinitive

• Wrong: Using it in casual conversation where a simpler construction works
• Right: Reserve the 5th infinitive for dramatic or emphatic near-misses
• Why: The 5th infinitive is expressive but relatively formal. In casual speech, olin melkein kaatumassa (I was almost falling) is more natural.

Practice Tips

1. Hobby descriptions: Describe your hobbies using 4th infinitive: Lukeminen on harrastukseni. Pidän uimisesta. Juokseminen tekee minut iloiseksi.
2. Near-miss stories: Practice the 5th infinitive with dramatic scenarios: Olin kaatumaisillani! Olimme myöhästymäisillämme!
3. Infinitive comparison: For one verb, list all infinitive forms: puhua, puhuessa, puhumaan, puhumassa, puhumasta, puhumalla, puhumatta, puhuminen, puhumaisillaan. This gives you a complete picture.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Infinitive Forms — the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd infinitives