Finnish for busy people

Adverbs Ending in isin: kotoisin peräisin aamuisin

July 31, 2019
May 31, 2021
 uusikielemme

Finnish has a fairly small group (about 50 words) of adverbs ending in -isin. Most of these will be related to time, but there are other groups too.

Adverbs of Time Ending in -isin

When an adverb ending in -isin is attached to a noun related to a period of time, it will add the idea of this time period recurring. For example aamulla means “in the morning”, while aamuisin means “every morning”.

Adverb Translation
öisin nightly, by night
päivisin daily, by day
iltaisin in the evenings, every evening
aamuisin in the mornings, every morning
aamupäivisin in the late mornings, every late morning
kesäisin during the summer months, every summer
syksyisin in autumn, every autumn
talvisin during the winter, every winter
keväisin in springtime, every spring
maanantaisin on Mondays, every Monday
tiistaisin on Tuesdays, every Tuesday
keskiviikkoisin on Wednesdays, every Wednesday
torstaisin on Thursdays, every Thursday
perjantaisin on Fridays, every Friday
lauantaisin on Saturdays, every Saturday
sunnuntaisin on Sundays, every Sunday
arkipäivisin on weekdays
viikonloppuisin in the weekends
arkiaamuisin on weekday mornings
pyhäpäivisin on Sundays and holidays
kesäsunnuntaisin on Sundays in summer

The following table contains some common example sentences you could use.

Finnish English
Ota lääke aamuisin ja iltaisin. Take the med every morning and every evening.
Olen päivisin pois kotoa. I’m away from home during the days.
Hän oli talvisin metsätöissä. He worked in the woods every winter.
Käyn maanantaisin kuntosalilla. I go to the gym every Monday.
Kauppa on avoinna vain arkisin. The store is only open on weekdays.
Viikonloppuisin olemme kesämökillä. We’re at the summer cottage during weekends.
Kesäisin vietämme aikaa mökillä. During the summers we spend time at the cottage.
Arkiaamuisin herään kuudelta. On weekday mornings I wake up at six.
Käyn pyhäisin kirkossa. I go to church on “sacred days” (Sundays).
Lääkäri on töissä myös pyhäpäivisin. A doctor also works on Sundays and holidays.

Adverbs of Origin Ending in -isin

Some adverbs that express where something is from will also have –isin at the end. All these words mean the same thing, with the small differences between them being too small to address here. The adverb kotoisin is the most common one (and one you probably have learned already). Notice how all of them are used in combination with the verb olla.

Example Translation
Minä olen kotoisin Saksasta. I’m from Germany.
Hän on lähtöisin hyvästä perheestä. He comes from a good family.
Hän on syntyisin Heinolasta. He’s born in Heinola.
Uskomus on peräisin keskiajalta. The belief dates back to the Middle Ages.
Sanonta on alkuisin Raamatusta. The saying is originally from the Bible.

Other Adverbs

These adverbs mainly express the way things are or are done.

Example Translation
sekaisin upset, tangled
takaisin back
edestakaisin back and forth
ylösalaisin upside down
läpikotaisin through and through
sattumoisin by chance
väkisin forcible, bodily
puoliväkisin half-forced
toisin otherwise, differently
kolmisin the three of us
nelisin the four of us
jalkaisin by foot, on foot
hajareisin astride (horse)
aikaisin early
nykyisin these days, nowadays

In addition to the list above, you can find some examples that will help understand how to use these adverbs.

Finnish English
Tulin takaisin jalkaisin. I came back on foot.
Tekisin kaiken toisin nyt. I would do everything differently now.
Kaikki on sekaisin. Everything is messed up.
Harpon edestakaisin. I walk back and forth.
Tunnen prosessin läpikotaisin. I know the process thoroughly.
Se roikkuu oksasta ylösalaisin. It hangs from a branch upside down.
Tiedätkö sattumoisin vastauksen? Do you happen to know the answer?
Naura aina, vaikka väkisin! Laugh always, even if you force it!
Adverbs

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