Infinitive

Infinitive is a basic veb form, you can find infinitives in dictionaries, for example:

to wash - pestä

to walk - kävellä

to clean - siivota

to speak - puhua

In speech, infinitives are not used that often, usually verbs are conjugated in person:

I wash - pesen

I walk - kävelen

you clean - siivoat

you speak - puhut

Infinite is marked by endings, such as:

• -a/ä (puhua, sanoa)
• -ta/tä (juosta, pestä)

or

• -la/lä, ra/rä, -na/nä,-sta/stä (opiskellla, purra, juosta

To conjugate the verb, the ending must be removed. More on verb types article.

When to use infinitive?

There are some constructions, where infinite must be used with other verbs.

Voida + infinitive (may)

Voinko auttaa sinua?
May I help you?

Osata + infinitive (can)

Osaan puhua suomea.
I can speak finnish.

Haluta + infinite (want to)

Hän haluaa puhua sinulle
He wants to speak with you

Täytyä + infinitive (must)

Sinun täytyy kuunnella!
You must listen!

Ei saa + infinitive (cannot)

Täällä ei saa polttaa.
You musn't smoke here.

Aikoa + infinitive (going to)

Aiomme matkustaa yhdessä.
We are going to travel together.

---

All topics

• Vowel harmony
• Consonant gradation
• Verbs in general
• Personal forms
• Tempus
• Infinitives
• Verb types
• Negation
• Participles
• Nomines in general
• Nominative, genitive, partitive
• Essive, translative, abessive
• Location cases
• Pronouns
• Subjects and objects
• Types of senteces
• Questions
• Modifiers
• Derivation
• Orthography