Breakdown of Hän haluaa tulla esimerkiksi insinööriksi.
hän
he / she
haluta
to want
tulla
to become
insinööri
engineer
esimerkiksi
for example
Questions & Answers about Hän haluaa tulla esimerkiksi insinööriksi.
Why is "engineer" translated as insinööriksi instead of just insinööri?
This is the core of our current lesson: the translative case, which uses the ending -ksi. It expresses a change of state or taking on a new role. When you use the verb tulla to mean "to become", the profession or state you are becoming must always take this -ksi ending.
Doesn't the verb tulla usually mean "to come"?
It does! However, when tulla is paired with a noun or adjective in the translative case (ending in -ksi), the meaning shifts to "to become". You can think of tulla insinööriksi as literally "to come into the state of being an engineer."
I notice esimerkiksi also ends in -ksi. Is that the same grammar rule at work?
Yes, exactly! The base word for "example" is esimerkki. By adding the translative -ksi ending, it literally translates to "as an example" or "for an example." Over time, esimerkiksi just became the standard, fixed word for "for example" in Finnish.
Why is esimerkiksi placed right in the middle of "to become an engineer" (tulla esimerkiksi insinööriksi)?
In Finnish, it is very common to place an emphasizing word directly before the word it refers to. Because "for example" specifically highlights the choice of being an engineer, putting esimerkiksi right before insinööriksi sounds very natural and connects the two ideas smoothly.
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