Henkilönsä

Henkilönsä is a Finnish possessive construction formed from the noun henkilö (person) in the genitive form henkilön, plus the third-person possessive suffixsä (or its variant -nsä). The combination yields henkilönsä, which roughly corresponds to “the person’s own” or “that person’s own.” The choice between sä and sä (-nsa vs. -nsä) follows Finnish vowel harmony: -nsa after stems with back vowels, -nsä after stems with front vowels.

The form denotes possession by a third-person referent (he, she, or they) and is used to indicate that something belongs to that person or is associated with that person, within a broader discourse. It often appears in formal or written contexts and can modify nouns that refer to objects, properties, or attributes connected to the person in question. For example, henkilönsä tiedot can mean “that person’s own details.” In everyday speech, speakers may instead use simpler constructions such as hänen tietonsa or tämän henkilön tiedot, depending on the desired emphasis and clarity.

Usage notes:

- Henkilönsä signals a definite referent that has been established in the conversation or text.

- It is distinct from the first-person possessive (henkilöni, “my person’s …”) and from casual possessive phrases, and tends to appear more in formal or written Finnish.

- The construction can be used with various nouns to express ownership or association by the third person.

See also: Finnish grammar, possessive suffixes, genitive.