Returning from an action (-masta/-mästä)

Returning from an Action (-masta/-mästä)

Just as the elative case (-sta/-stä) is used to express coming out of a physical location, the third infinitive elative is used to express returning from an activity.

To create this form, take the action verb's strong stem and add -masta or -mästä (depending on vowel harmony).

• uida → uimasta
• juhlia → juhlimasta
• pelata → pelaamasta

This form is commonly paired with movement verbs like tulla (to come) to show what you were just doing. You can also add words like suoraan (straight) to emphasize coming directly from the activity.

Stopping an Activity

In Finnish, when you "stop" doing something, you are grammatically stepping out of or away from the action. Therefore, verbs like lakata (to stop / to cease) require the following action verb to be in the -masta/-mästä form.

Refusing an Action

Similarly, the verb kieltäytyä (to refuse) uses the -masta/-mästä form. Think of it as refusing to "step into" the activity in the first place, keeping yourself away from it.

Habits and Vices

You can use these verbs to describe breaking a habit (tapa), such as when someone stops or refuses to smoke (tupakoida).

Finally Stopping and Arriving

Let's combine these grammar rules with some new action verbs like valittaa (to complain) and huutaa (to shout), as well as the adverb vihdoin (finally).

When returning from an activity, you can also use verbs like saapua (to arrive). Note how Finnish smoothly connects the arrival destination (in the illative case) with the activity being returned from in a single sentence.