Partisiippi Preesens (Present Participle)
The Present Participle in Finnish is a non-finite verb form that acts like an adjective.
It agrees with the noun it modifies in case and number, and can be active (the noun is doing the action) or passive (the noun receives the action).
Aktiivin Partisiippi Preesens (Active Present Participle)
Function:
Describes a noun performing the action of the verb. Can also be used as a noun meaning “one who does …”.
Formation:
- Present tense stem (strong grade) + -va/-vä (vowel harmony).
Examples:
| Verb (infinitive) | Stem | Active Participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| nauraa (to laugh) | naura- | naurava | laughing |
| lukea (to read) | luke- | lukeva | reading |
| syödä (to eat) | syö- | syövä | eating |
| tehdä (to do) | teke- → tekev- | tekevä | doing |
| juosta (to run) | juokse- | juokseva | running |
Agreement examples:
- naurava lapsi (a laughing child) – nominative singular
- nauravat lapset (laughing children) – nominative plural
- nauravan lapsen (of the laughing child) – genitive singular
Example sentences:
- Näin itkevän lapsen. (I saw a crying child.)
- Voittava joukkue saa palkinnon. (The winning team gets the prize.)
Passiivin Partisiippi Preesens (Passive Present Participle)
Function:
Describes a noun that receives the action, often translated as “that is to be done”, “that must be done”, or “that can be done”.
Formation:
- Passive stem + -tava/-tävä (vowel harmony).
Examples:
| Verb (infinitive) | Passive Stem | Passive Participle | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| lukea (to read) | luet- | luettava | to be read / readable |
| syödä (to eat) | syöt- | syötävä | to be eaten / edible |
| tehdä (to do) | teht- | tehtävä | to be done / task |
| korjata (to fix) | korjatt- | korjattava | to be fixed / repairable |
Agreement examples:
- luettava kirja (a book to be read)
- korjattavat autot (cars to be fixed)
- tehtävän työn (the work to be done – genitive singular)
Example sentences:
- Tämä on luettava artikkeli. (This is an article that must be read.)
- Tehtävät työt on listattu taululle. (The tasks to be done are listed on the board.)
Key Differences:
| Feature | Active Present Participle | Passive Present Participle |
|---|---|---|
| Describes | Doer of the action | Receiver of the action |
| Ending | -va/-vä | -tava/-tävä |
| Example | lukevat lapset (children reading) | luettavat kirjat (books to be read) |
Notes:
- Both forms inflect like adjectives in Finnish, so they agree in case and number with the noun they modify.
- Present participles in Finnish do not create continuous tenses like English “-ing” does — they are purely adjectival.
