Informaalisesta

Informaalisesta is the elative singular form of the Finnish adjective informaalinen, meaning informal or casual. The term is used in Finnish to describe things that are not formal, or that pertain to informal contexts such as casual dress, language, or behavior. Like other Finnish adjectives, informaalinen agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case, so its elative form is informaalisesta when the related noun is in the elative case.

In practice, informaalisesta appears in phrases that indicate topic or source in sentences that require the elative case. It is common in discussions about social norms, workplace culture, education, or media to refer to informal practices or informal communication by using informaalisesta as the describing element with a following noun in elative. For example, one might encounter sentences such as keskustelimme informaalisesta pukeutumisesta (we discussed informal dress) or raportti käsittelee informaalisesta viestinnästä (the report deals with informal communication). The exact nuance depends on the governing verb and the accompanying noun.

Plural forms exist for when multiple items are discussed: informaalisista with corresponding nouns in the elative plural, for example informaalisista pukeutumisista (about informal dress codes) or informaalisista viestinnöistä (about informal communications).

Etymology and usage notes: informaalinen is a loanword from English informal, adapted into Finnish morphology with the typical -inen suffix. The term appears across academic, media, and everyday language to describe non-formal characteristics or settings, and it contrasts with formaali, formal. See also: formaali, informaalinen.