Alaikäisiin

Alaikäisiin is the illative plural form of the Finnish noun alaikäinen, meaning a person who is under the legal age of adulthood. The form is used to refer to minors as a group in contexts where the illative case is required, typically indicating movement toward or inclusion in that group or a focus on the group as a target of action.

In Finnish, the noun alaikäinen declines through several cases and numbers. The nominative plural is alaikäiset, the genitive plural is alaikäisten, and the illative plural is alaikäisiin. Other common plural forms include partitive alaikäisiä, inessive alaikäisissä, and allative alaikäisille. The illative plural alaikäisiin is formed from the stem alaikäis- plus the illative plural suffix -iin, and it is used when the action or relation is directed toward or involves minors.

The term is widely used in legal, administrative, educational, and media contexts to discuss matters affecting minors. It is a neutral, descriptive term and is typically chosen to refer to a group of individuals based on age, without implying individual characteristics beyond age. In practice, alaikäisiin may appear in phrases describing rights, protections, risks, or obligations related to minors, with the surrounding grammar adjusted to fit the required case or preposition.

See also: alaikäinen, alaikäiset, alaikäisten. The concept reflects Finland’s legal framework that defines and protects the rights of people under the age of 18.