Finnish

Suffix

-sti ‎(not comparable and comparable; comparative -mmin, superlative -immin)

1. (multiplicative) Corresponds number + times structure in English.

   kaksi ‎(“two”) → kahdesti ‎(“twice”)

   kymmenen ‎(“ten”) → kymmenesti ‎(“ten times”)

   moni ‎(“many”) → monesti ‎(“many times”)

   usea ‎(“many”) → useasti ‎(“often”)

2. (adverbial suffix, comparable) Forms adverbs from adjectives; corresponds to the English suffix -ly.

   kaunis ‎(“beautiful”) → kauniisti ‎(“beautifully”)

   ruma ‎(“ugly”) → rumasti ‎(“uglily”)

3. (intensifier) Forms intensifying adverbs from certain nouns.

   helvetti ‎(“****”) → helvetisti ‎(“hellishly”)

   rutto ‎(“plague”) → rutosti ‎(“a lot”)

4. -ist (forms names of occupations from some nouns)

   viulu ‎(“violine”) → viulisti ‎(“violinist”)

5. -ist (supporter of an idea)

   rasisti ‎(“racist”), kommunisti ‎(“communist”)

Usage notes

• (multiplicative) Used only with small numbers, and with some pronouns; note that yksi ‎(“one”) → yhdesti ‎(“once”) is not standard Finnish (compare kerran).
• (adverbial suffix) The suffix is appended to the weak stem, i.e. one takes the n off the genitive singular form and adds this suffix to it. The resulting adverb is comparable, if the base word is comparable: for example kauniisti, kauniimmin (more beautifully), kauneimmin (most beautifully). It can be appended to all adjectives, but also to selected nouns and numerals.
• (intensifier) The suffix is often applied to a vulgar term: perkele → perkeleesti.

Synonyms

• (expression of how many times something happens): kertaa

Derived terms

adverbial suffix

See also

• -lti
• -moinen