Avaimeellaan

Avaimeellaan is a Finnish phrase that literally means “with his/her key.” It is used to indicate the instrument or means by which an action is performed, typically referring to opening something or accessing a space. The form is not a separate word with its own dictionary entry; rather, it is a case-and-morphology construction built from the noun avain (key) together with the instrumental case suffix and the possessive marking that aligns with the subject.

Grammatically, avaimeellaan demonstrates how Finnish can combine a noun with instrumental meaning and a possessive element to show which key is being used. In practice, the phrase appears in sentences describing practical actions, for example when someone opens a door using their own key. The usage illustrates how Finnish codes the instrument of an action and the agent performing it within a single verbal phrase.

In everyday language, avaimeellaan is most common in descriptive or narrative contexts where the means of performing an action is relevant to the scene. While it is a straightforward example of instrument-marking in Finnish, it is not specialized terminology or a concept with a separate semantic field beyond its literal meaning.

See also: Finnish grammar, Instrumental case in Finnish, Finnish possessive suffixes.