# varten vs allative



## osemnais

When is varten used and when allative?
I'm particularly having in mind these sentences:
Tämä on sinun varten/sinulle - This is for you.
Tämä on (käytettään) kirjoittamisen varten/kirjoittamiselle. This is (used) for writing.


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## Watoosh88

Sanaa "varten" käytetään partitiivin kanssa. Esim. "Tämä on kirjoittamista varten." = "Tätä käytetään kirjoittamiseen."

"Varten" is mostly used in teleological contexts, ie. something is meant or created for a specific purpose. It's largely interchangeable with allative constructions, ("Rakensin puumajan lapsia varten" = "Rakensin puumajan lapsille") but it doesn't make sense to say "Aion antaa lahjan äitiä varten" as opposed to "Aion antaa lahjan äidille". If you would use the allative case in the sense of "to someone", then varten isn't applicable, but if you're doing something "for someone/some purpose", then varten is acceptable.

"Ostin hiekkalaatikon kissoja varten" - correct, because the litter box is specifically meant for cats, with the expectation that they will use it.

"Lähetin lahjan isoäitiä varten" - incorrect, because you can send a gift "to someone", but not "for someone".

That's just a general gut feeling from a native speaker - I'm not a linguist so I can't give a more detailed explanation, and I haven't considered all the angles. Hopefully it's of some help though.


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## Finland

Hello!

Just as an addition: Watoosh88's last example can be modified to illustrate the nuance even better. You *could* say: Lähetin siskolleni lahjan isoäitiä varten. That would mean (in an awkward translation to retain the idea) "I sent to my sister the present for nan." There, the parcel is sent "siskolle", directly to the sister, but "isoäitiä varten" = for nan, in order to be given to nan (by the sister, when she goes to see nan).

HTH
S


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