This participle has not a simple temporal signification, but has always an idea of desirability, or necessity. Kunnioitettava Herra, a man to be honoured. In combination with the verb olla it can be used either as a simple adjective, e.g. se on korjattava, that should be corrected, or as a part of the impersonal passive verb, sitä on korjattava. It is sometimes used with a genitive of the agent like the infinitive. Sentähden oli etsittävä kahdenkeskistä yksinäisyyttä, on this account it was necessary to seek for a tête-à-tête interview. Sanokaa, mitä tietä minun on mentävä, tell me what road I should take. Tämä asia on meidän mielessämme pidettävä, we must keep that in mind.
The translative singular of this participle is used exactly like the illative of the third infinitive, but with a passive signification. Setä toi kirjoja lasten luettavaksi, the uncle brought books for the children to read (for the reading of the children). Hän antoi veitsen hiottavaksi, he gave the knife to be sharpened.
Participle II—Passive.
This participle is really a substantive expressing the result of the verb’s action. From this it passes easily to an adjectival meaning. For instance, työ on tehty, the work is a thing done, is much the same as the work is done. In combination with olla it is used to form tenses of the passive impersonal verb, and as such, can take an object, otherwise it has the same signification as the past passive participle in other languages. Puhuttu puhe ammuttu nuoli, a word once spoken is an arrow shot forth. Unhotettu maksettu velka, a debt paid is forgotten (proverbs). Jos mun tuttuni tulisi, if one known by me were to come.
It is noticeable that when used in this sense the past passive participle does not as a rule take the pronominal suffix. Thus one says, ostettu kirja, the book that has been bought, but by preference, ostamani kirja, the book that has been bought by me.
Part. II passive is also used substantively in the partitive singular to express an action antecedent to the action of the principal verb. As the original meaning of the partitive is motion from, this is very analogous to the use of the elative of infinitive III. Like other expressions of the same nature (e.g. the inessive of infinitive II) this use is rendered in English by a temporal sentence. The subject of that sentence is represented in Finnish by a genitive, or by a pronominal suffix, if the subjects of the principal and temporal sentence are the same.
Jopa tuonne tultuansa, Matkan päähän päästyänsä (Kal. xlii. 25), after he had come thither and reached the end of his journey. Muutaman päivän kuluttua, after a few days. Luettuaan sanomalehtiä ja syötyään aamiaisen, after he had read his paper and eaten his breakfast. Kävelyltään palattuaan, after returning from his walk. Juotuaan kolme, neljä lasia teetä, after drinking three or four glasses of tea. Sotamiehen kotiin palattua, when the soldier had come home. Päivän laskettua, when the sun had set.
As however this participle denotes a completed rather than a past action, it is sometimes used in cases where we have to translate it by a present participle. Kal. xvii. 593, Hyvin laait tultuasi, thou hast done well in coming. xlvi. 284, Terve, terve tultuasi (terve tuloa is a common expression), hail to thee in thy coming. These two examples show clearly the substantival character of the participle.
Use of Participles in Oblique Oration.
The participles have another use in Finnish—viz. they correspond to the construction known in Latin grammar as the accusative and infinitive in subordinate sentences.