Etymology
-ttaa + -ella; the first suffix was adapted by analogy from the causative meaning, taking to "to refer to as" as well as probably later "to act like", while the -ella is a frequentative suffix. The analogy may have also taken place only after the use of -tella in its literal (causative-frequentative) sense for some verbs.
Suffix
-tella (front vowel harmony variant -tellä, stem -ttele-, linguistic notation -ttele- or -tellA)
- Forms verbs for calling someone by a name or a label.
- neiti (“miss”) + -tella → neiditellä (“to call someone "miss"”)
- Forms verbs that describe act of pretending to be something.
- hurskas (“pious”) + -tella → hurskastella (“to be hypocritical”)
Usage notes
Often added to the plural stem of the base noun.
Conjugation
When attached to a vowel stem:
More information indicative mood, present tense ...
| Inflection of -tella (Kotus type 67*C/tulla, tt-t gradation) |
| indicative mood |
| present tense |
perfect |
| 1st sing. |
-ttelen |
en -ttele |
1st sing. |
olen -tellut |
en ole -tellut |
| 2nd sing. |
-ttelet |
et -ttele |
2nd sing. |
olet -tellut |
et ole -tellut |
| 3rd sing. |
-ttelee |
ei -ttele |
3rd sing. |
on -tellut |
ei ole -tellut |
| 1st plur. |
-ttelemme |
emme -ttele |
1st plur. |
olemme -telleet |
emme ole -telleet |
| 2nd plur. |
-ttelette |
ette -ttele |
2nd plur. |
olette -telleet |
ette ole -telleet |
| 3rd plur. |
-ttelevat |
eivät -ttele |
3rd plur. |
ovat -telleet |
eivät ole -telleet |
| passive |
-tellaan |
ei -tella |
passive |
on -teltu |
ei ole -teltu |
| past tense |
pluperfect |
| 1st sing. |
-ttelin |
en -tellut |
1st sing. |
olin -tellut |
en ollut -tellut |
| 2nd sing. |
-ttelit |
et -tellut |
2nd sing. |
olit -tellut |
et ollut -tellut |
| 3rd sing. |
-tteli |
ei -tellut |
3rd sing. |
oli -tellut |
ei ollut -tellut |
| 1st plur. |
-ttelimme |
emme -telleet |
1st plur. |
olimme -telleet |
emme olleet -telleet |
| 2nd plur. |
-ttelitte |
ette -telleet |
2nd plur. |
olitte -telleet |
ette olleet -telleet |
| 3rd plur. |
-ttelivat |
eivät -telleet |
3rd plur. |
olivat -telleet |
eivät olleet -telleet |
| passive |
-teltiin |
ei -teltu |
passive |
oli -teltu |
ei ollut -teltu |
| conditional mood |
| present |
perfect |
| 1st sing. |
-ttelisin |
en -ttelisi |
1st sing. |
olisin -tellut |
en olisi -tellut |
| 2nd sing. |
-ttelisit |
et -ttelisi |
2nd sing. |
olisit -tellut |
et olisi -tellut |
| 3rd sing. |
-ttelisi |
ei -ttelisi |
3rd sing. |
olisi -tellut |
ei olisi -tellut |
| 1st plur. |
-ttelisimme |
emme -ttelisi |
1st plur. |
olisimme -telleet |
emme olisi -telleet |
| 2nd plur. |
-ttelisitte |
ette -ttelisi |
2nd plur. |
olisitte -telleet |
ette olisi -telleet |
| 3rd plur. |
-ttelisivat |
eivät -ttelisi |
3rd plur. |
olisivat -telleet |
eivät olisi -telleet |
| passive |
-teltaisiin |
ei -teltaisi |
passive |
olisi -teltu |
ei olisi -teltu |
| imperative mood |
| present |
perfect |
| 1st sing. |
— |
— |
1st sing. |
— |
— |
| 2nd sing. |
-ttele |
älä -ttele |
2nd sing. |
— |
— |
| 3rd sing. |
-telkoon |
älköön -telko |
3rd sing. |
olkoon -tellut |
älköön olko -tellut |
| 1st plur. |
-telkaamme |
älkäämme -telko |
1st plur. |
— |
— |
| 2nd plur. |
-telkaa |
älkää -telko |
2nd plur. |
— |
— |
| 3rd plur. |
-telkoot |
älkööt -telko |
3rd plur. |
olkoot -telleet |
älkööt olko -telleet |
| passive |
-teltakoon |
älköön -teltako |
passive |
olkoon -teltu |
älköön olko -teltu |
| potential mood |
| present |
perfect |
| 1st sing. |
-tellen |
en -telle |
1st sing. |
lienen -tellut |
en liene -tellut |
| 2nd sing. |
-tellet |
et -telle |
2nd sing. |
lienet -tellut |
et liene -tellut |
| 3rd sing. |
-tellee |
ei -telle |
3rd sing. |
lienee -tellut |
ei liene -tellut |
| 1st plur. |
-tellemme |
emme -telle |
1st plur. |
lienemme -telleet |
emme liene -telleet |
| 2nd plur. |
-tellette |
ette -telle |
2nd plur. |
lienette -telleet |
ette liene -telleet |
| 3rd plur. |
-tellevat |
eivät -telle |
3rd plur. |
lienevät -telleet |
eivät liene -telleet |
| passive |
-teltaneen |
ei -teltane |
passive |
lienee -teltu |
ei liene -teltu |
| Nominal forms |
| infinitives |
participles |
|
active |
passive |
|
active |
passive |
| 1st |
-tella |
present |
-tteleva |
-teltava |
| long 1st1 |
| Person |
sing. |
plur. |
| 1st |
-tellakseni |
-tellaksemme |
| 2nd |
-tellaksesi |
-tellaksenne |
| 3rd |
-tellakseen
-tellaksensa |
|
past |
-tellut |
-teltu |
| 2nd |
inessive2 |
-tellessa |
-teltaessa |
agent4 |
-ttelema |
| Person |
sing. |
plur. |
| 1st |
-tellessani |
-tellessamme |
| 2nd |
-tellessasi |
-tellessanne |
| 3rd |
-tellessaan
-tellessansa |
|
negative |
-ttelematon |
| instructive |
-tellen |
— |
1) Used only with a possessive suffix.
2) Usually with a possessive suffix (active only).
3) Some uses of the verbal noun are called the 'fourth infinitive' by certain sources (more details).
4) Usually with a possessive suffix. May not be used with all verbs, especially intransitive ones ( more details). Distinct from nouns with the -ma suffix and third infinitive forms. |
| 3rd |
inessive |
-ttelemassa |
— |
| elative |
-ttelemasta |
— |
| illative |
-ttelemaan |
— |
| adessive |
-ttelemalla |
— |
| abessive |
-ttelematta |
— |
| instructive |
-tteleman |
-teltaman |
| 4th3 |
verbal noun |
-tteleminen |
| 5th1 |
| Person |
sing. |
plur. |
| 1st |
-ttelemaisillani |
-ttelemaisillamme |
| 2nd |
-ttelemaisillasi |
-ttelemaisillanne |
| 3rd |
-ttelemaisillaan
-ttelemaisillansa |
|
Close
With consonant stems, the gradation pattern may be different, e.g. no gradation when the ending becomes -stella.