Eräänlaisia

Eräänlainen is a Finnish adjective meaning “a kind of” or “sort of.” It is used to describe a noun in a broad, non-exhaustive way, signaling that the speaker refers to a type or category without specifying exact characteristics. The form eräänlaisia is the plural partitive of eräänlainen and is used with plural nouns in the partitive case, for example eräänlaisia kysymyksiä or eräänlaisia ratkaisuja. The word helps convey nuance rather than a precise classification.

Morphology and usage

Eräänlainen can take different endings to match the noun it modifies: eräänlaista (singular partitive), eräänlaista ongelmaa, eräänlaisia (plural partitive), eräänlaisia kysymyksiä. In meaning, it lies between erilainen (different, varying) and lajiltaan (of a certain kind), often suggesting a generic, non-definitive type rather than a strict category. It is common in both spoken and written Finnish and can introduce descriptions that are approximate or experiential rather than formally defined.

Examples

Meillä on eräänlaisia ongelmia projektissa. (We have some kinds of problems in the project.)

Hän pohti eräänlaisia vinkkejä lentopäivää varten. (He considered some kind of tips for the travel day.)

He etsivät eräänlaisia ratkaisuja tilanteeseen. (They were looking for sorts of solutions to the situation.)

Haluaisin eräänlaista opastusta tässä asiassa. (I would like some kind of guidance in this matter.)

Etymology and nuance

Eräänlainen is formed with the suffix -lainen, which creates adjectives meaning “of the kind of,” from the genitive erään. The term emphasizes non-specificity and scope over exact definition, making it useful for hedging or describing approximate categories in discourse.