Adjectives of Readiness and Ability
In English, prepositions change depending on the adjective (we are ready to act, but capable of reacting). In Finnish, adjectives expressing readiness, ability, or willingness consistently require the following verb to be in the 3rd infinitive illative (-maan or -mään).
| Are you ready to act in crisis situations? | Oletko valmis toimimaan kriisitilanteissa? |
| Would the first response be capable of reacting quickly? | Olisiko ensivaste kykenevä reagoimaan nopeasti? |
Eagerness and Obligation
The same rule applies to adjectives of enthusiasm, commitment, or duty, such as halukas (willing), innokas (eager), sitoutunut (committed), and velvollinen (obliged).
Even if the adjective becomes plural to match the subject (like halukkaita or innokkaita), the paired verb remains exactly the same in its -maan/-mään form.
| We are willing to be on call this weekend. | Me olemme halukkaita päivystämään tänä viikonloppuna. |
| The volunteers were eager to help in the wildfires. | Vapaaehtoiset olivat innokkaita auttamaan maastopaloissa. |
| Are they committed to protecting the forests? | Ovatko he sitoutuneita suojelemaan metsiä? |
You can easily use multiple adjectives of readiness in the same sentence to describe complex duties:
| The nurse is obliged to stay, but she is also willing to help. | Sairaanhoitaja on velvollinen jäämään, mutta hän on myös halukas auttamaan. |
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