Infinitive Forms in Finnish

Overview

Finnish has a remarkably rich system of infinitive forms — not just one infinitive (as in English "to speak") but several, each with different functions and case forms. At the B1 level, you will learn the three most important infinitives: the 1st infinitive (the basic dictionary form), the 2nd infinitive (expressing simultaneous or manner), and the 3rd infinitive (expressing purpose, location, or instrument of an action).

Understanding these infinitive forms is crucial because they appear in many common constructions. The 3rd infinitive is especially important — its illative form (-maan/-mään) is used after verbs of movement and beginning, and you have likely already been using it without knowing its grammatical name.

The infinitive system is one of the features that makes Finnish grammar so expressive. Each infinitive form encodes a different relationship between the action and the rest of the sentence, giving you precise tools for complex expression.

How It Works

1st Infinitive (basic/short form)

This is the dictionary form you already know:

Form	Example	English
Short form	puhua, syödä, mennä	to speak, to eat, to go
Long form (translative)	puhuakseen	in order to speak

The long 1st infinitive (with possessive suffix) expresses purpose:

• Hän lähti oppiakseen suomea. (He/She left in order to learn Finnish.)

2nd Infinitive

Expresses simultaneous action or manner:

Form	Formation	Example	English
Inessive	stem + essa/essä	puhuessa	while speaking
Instructive	stem + en	puhuen	by speaking

Examples:

• Syödessäni luen lehteä. (While eating, I read the newspaper.)
• Hän hymyili sanoessaan sen. (He/She smiled while saying it.)
• Oppii tekemällä, ei lukien. (You learn by doing, not by reading.)

3rd Infinitive

The most versatile infinitive, with several case forms:

Case	Ending	Meaning	Example
Illative	-maan/-mään	purpose/goal	Menen uimaan. (I go swimming.)
Inessive	-massa/-mässä	ongoing action at location	Olen uimassa. (I am swimming.)
Elative	-masta/-mästä	away from action	Tulen uimasta. (I come from swimming.)
Adessive	-malla/-mällä	by means of	Oppii lukemalla. (You learn by reading.)
Abessive	-matta/-mättä	without doing	Lähdin sanomatta mitään. (I left without saying anything.)

Formation of the 3rd infinitive

The 3rd infinitive stem = the infinitive stem + -ma-/-mä-:

Verb	3rd inf. stem	Illative	Inessive
puhua	puhuma-	puhumaan	puhumassa
syödä	syömä-	syömään	syömässä
lukea	lukema-	lukemaan	lukemassa
tulla	tulema-	tulemaan	tulemassa

Common verb + infinitive patterns

Pattern	Example	English
mennä + 3rd inf. illative	Menen nukkumaan.	I go to sleep.
tulla + 3rd inf. illative	Tule syömään!	Come eat!
alkaa + 1st inf.	Alan opiskella.	I start to study.
olla + 3rd inf. inessive	Olen lukemassa.	I am reading.
voida + 1st inf.	Voin auttaa.	I can help.
lopettaa + 3rd inf. illative	Lopetin tupakoimasta.	I stopped smoking.

Examples in Context

Finnish	English	Note
Menen uimaan.	I go swimming.	3rd inf. illative
Olen syömässä.	I am (in the process of) eating.	3rd inf. inessive
Tulen juuri uimasta.	I just come from swimming.	3rd inf. elative
Oppii lukemalla.	You learn by reading.	3rd inf. adessive
Lähdin sanomatta mitään.	I left without saying anything.	3rd inf. abessive
Hän tuli oppiakseen suomea.	He/She came to learn Finnish.	1st inf. long form
Syödessäni kuuntelen musiikkia.	While eating, I listen to music.	2nd inf. inessive
Tule istumaan!	Come sit down!	3rd inf. illative
Aloitan tekemään läksyjä.	I start doing homework.	3rd inf. illative
En voi olla tulematta.	I can't not come. (I must come.)	3rd inf. abessive + negative
Kävellen menee puoli tuntia.	Walking, it takes half an hour.	2nd inf. instructive (variant)

Common Mistakes

Using 1st infinitive after movement verbs

• Wrong: Menen uida.
• Right: Menen uimaan.
• Why: Movement verbs (mennä, tulla, lähteä) require the 3rd infinitive illative form, not the basic 1st infinitive.

Confusing "olen lukemassa" and "luen"

• Wrong: Using them interchangeably
• Right: Luen = I read (general). Olen lukemassa = I am in the middle of reading (right now).
• Why: The 3rd infinitive inessive emphasizes being in the middle of an action at a specific location/moment.

Wrong infinitive form after "alkaa"

• Wrong: Both Alan lukea and Alan lukemaan are actually used!
• Right: Both are acceptable. Alan lukea (1st inf.) is more standard; Alan lukemaan (3rd inf.) is also common.
• Why: Some verbs accept multiple infinitive types. Learn the preferred form for each verb.

Usage Notes

The 3rd infinitive illative (-maan/-mään) is one of the most frequently used infinitive forms in everyday Finnish. It appears with all movement verbs and many verbs expressing beginning or progression. The 3rd infinitive inessive (-massa/-mässä) creates a progressive-like construction that Finnish otherwise lacks.

In spoken Finnish, infinitive forms are sometimes simplified. The 3rd infinitive adessive (-malla) is very commonly used for "by doing" constructions and is essential for giving instructions.

Practice Tips

1. Movement + 3rd infinitive: Practice combining movement verbs with activities: Menen uimaan, juoksemaan, kävelemään, ostoksille, syömään. This pattern is extremely common.
2. Progressive practice: Describe what you are doing right now using the 3rd infinitive inessive: Olen lukemassa kirjaa. Olen tekemässä ruokaa. Olen katsomassa televisiota.
3. "By doing" sentences: Express how to achieve things: Oppii puhumalla. Pysyy terveenä liikkumalla. Säästää rahaa tekemällä ruokaa kotona.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Verb Types (1-3) — verb stem knowledge is essential for forming infinitives
• Next steps: Fourth and Fifth Infinitives — additional infinitive forms
• Next steps: Sentence Equivalents — using infinitives and participles to replace subordinate clauses