Verbs taking the elative case (kieltäytyä)

Verb Rections: The Elative Case

Just as some verbs demand the illative case, others require the elative case. The elative is typically the "out of" or "from" case, and it is formed by adding -sta or -stä to the word stem.

When discussing asceticism and monastic life, you will frequently use the verb kieltäytyä (to refuse or decline). In Finnish, this verb requires the thing being refused to be in the elative case—conceptually, you are removing yourself "out of" the thing you decline.

Any adjectives modifying the noun must also take the elative ending. For example, maallinen nautinto (worldly pleasure) becomes maallisesta nautinnosta.

Abstaining and Explaining Why

The verb pidättäytyä (to abstain) follows the exact same rule, requiring the elative case for the thing you are avoiding. For example, ylellisyys (luxury) becomes ylellisyydestä.

To explain why someone is abstaining, you will often use the postposition takia (because of). Like most postpositions, takia requires the word that comes immediately before it to be in the genitive case (ending in -n). For instance, tiukka paasto (strict fast) becomes tiukan paaston takia.

Plural Elative

If a monk is refusing multiple pleasures, you will need the plural elative. The plural marker -i- is inserted before the case ending, resulting in the suffix -ista or -istä.

Worldly vs. Spiritual

Remember that verb rections only apply to specific verbs. When talking about what ascetics are looking for using a standard transitive verb like etsiä (to seek), the object will take the partitive case, not the elative.