kansalaisaloite

kansalaisaloite

MEANING:

Compound term: Citizens’ initiative.

A citizens’ initiative offers Finnish citizens a possibility to have their initiative considered by the Parliament. (Read more about how a citizens’ initiative works in Finland here: https://www.kansalaisaloite.fi/fi/ohjeet/briefly-in-english).

DERIVED FROM:

Kansalaisaloite is a compound term made from kansalaisen (”citizens'”) and aloite (”initiative”).

EXTRA CREDIT:

Kansalaisaloite ensi kertaa läpi means ”Citizens’ initiative first time through.”

maksa

maksa

MEANING:

Noun: (anatomy) liver.

palkita

palkita

MEANING:

Verb: to award, to reward, to recognize.

Palkita appears in our example in the 3rd person plural past tense, palkitsi.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Barack Obama palkitsi Stevie Wonderin ja Meryl Streepin means ”Barack Obama awarded Stevie Wonder and Meryl Streep.”

Vapausmitalin sai 19 taiteilijaa means ”Medal of freedom awarded to 19 artists.”

vaimentaa

vaimentaa

MEANING:

Verb: to muffle, stifle, suppress or dampen.

Vaimentaa appears in our example in the imperative, 2nd person singular, vaimenna.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Vaimenna kipusi translates approximately as ”reduce the pain.”

Ota Panadol Zapp means ”Take Panadol Zapp.”

erä (erissä)

erä

MEANING:

Noun: batch, lot, installment, etc.

In our example, erä is short for maksuerä (”installment”) and appears in the inessive plural erissä.

EXTRA CREDIT:

Osta nyt, maksa erissä means ”Buy now, pay in installments.”

toteutua

toteutua

MEANING:

Verb: to come true, to become real, actualize.

Toteutua appears in our example in the 3rd person plural form, toteutuvat.

DERIVED FROM:

Toteutua is derived from the verb todeta which means ”to state” or ”to note.”

EXTRA CREDIT:

Toiveet toteutuvat means ”dreams come true” or ”wishes come true.”

särkyä (särkyneet)

särkyä

MEANING:

Verb (intransitive): to break.

Särkyä appears in our example in the plural of its active past participle, särkyneet, and functions like an adjective meaning ”broken” or ”shattered.”

EXTRA CREDIT:

Särkyneet Syleilyt is a 2009 movie whose English language title is ”Shattered Embraces.

Syleilyt means ”hugs” or ”embraces.”

The transitive version of this verb is särkeä.