# Causative Verbal Forms



## locutus

I've been thinking a bit about the use of Finnish causative verbal forms. 

I've come up with a couple of nearly identical sentences which I think have slightly different meanings. I think I know what they would mean in English, but would like to get the opinions of others.

Here are the two sentences:

_Lapset katsoivat syöttävää hevosta._
_Lapset katsoivat syötävää hevosta._

and a plural version:

_Lapset katsoivat syöttäviä hevosia._
_Lapset katsoivat syötäviä hevosia._

Any feedback would be appreciated...


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## Hakro

locutus said:


> I've been thinking a bit about the use of Finnish causative verbal forms.
> 
> I've come up with a couple of nearly identical sentences which I think have slightly different meanings. I think I know what they would mean in English, but would like to get the opinions of others.
> 
> Here are the two sentences:
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syöttävää hevosta._
> _Lapset katsoivat syötävää hevosta._
> 
> and a plural version:
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syöttäviä hevosia._
> _Lapset katsoivat syötäviä hevosia._
> 
> Any feedback would be appreciated...


Hi Locutus,

I'd say that these sentences have not slightly but totally different meanings:

_Lapset katsoivat syöttävää hevosta._ The children were looking at the feeding horse (a mare feeding her foal).

_Lapset katsoivat syötävää hevosta._ The children were looking at a horse to be eaten.
 
and a plural version:

_Lapset katsoivat syöttäviä hevosia._ The children were looking at the feeding horses (mares feeding their foals).
 
_Lapset katsoivat syötäviä hevosia._ The children were looking at horses to be eaten.
 
Note:
syöttää = to feed
syödä = to eat

I hope this helps

Hakro


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## locutus

Hakro said:


> Hi Locutus,
> 
> I'd say that these sentences have not slightly but totally different meanings:
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syöttävää hevosta._ The children were looking at the feeding horse (a mare feeding her foal).
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syötävää hevosta._ The children were looking at a horse to be eaten.
> 
> and a plural version:
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syöttäviä hevosia._ The children were looking at the feeding horses (mares feeding their foals).
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syötäviä hevosia._ The children were looking at horses to be eaten.
> 
> Note:
> syöttää = to feed
> syödä = to eat
> 
> I hope this helps
> 
> Hakro


 
Thanks Hakro

In the first sentence I interpreted that as the children watching the horse feeding itself ....not so much feeding its foal...however I think you are saying that the meaning has more the sense of the "making-to-eat" horse, in other words the horse feeding its foal. 

Now the second sentence seems to have caused even more problems for me...I interpreted this as the children watching the horse that was feeding itself....but it looks like is used the passive present participle with the sense of "to be eaten"... I think what I meant was:

_Lapset katsoivat syövää hevosta_ 

and, plural:

_Lapset katsoivat syöviä hevosia._

....a nice, simple active present participle...

How's all of this?


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## Hakro

locutus said:


> I think what I meant was:
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syövää hevosta_
> 
> and, plural:
> 
> _Lapset katsoivat syöviä hevosia._
> 
> ....a nice, simple active present participle...
> 
> How's all of this?


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