Kaksipisteen

Kaksipisteen is the genitive form of the Finnish noun kaksipiste, commonly used to refer to the punctuation mark known in Finnish as kaksoispiste or kaksipiste. The term denotes the colon symbol, which consists of two vertically aligned dots and is used to structure and connect parts of text in Finnish writing as well as in various technical contexts.

In linguistic and typographic use, kaksipisteen or kaksoispiste is employed to introduce explanations, lists, examples, or direct quotations after an introductory clause. It also serves to separate hours from minutes in time notation (for example, 12:30) and to express ratios (3:2) or references such as biblical citations. In many technical and computing contexts, kaksipiste is used in syntax and data formats, including programming languages, configuration files, and data interchange formats (for instance key: value pairs in YAML, or URL schemes like https:).

Typographic conventions for kaksipisteen follow general Finnish punctuation rules: the colon is placed immediately after the preceding word without a space, and a space typically follows when continuing with explanatory text or a new list. In direct speech, a colon often introduces quoted material after an introductory statement, as in He sanoi: "Tule tänne." The term kaksipisteen thus appears primarily in discussions of punctuation, writing style, typography, and related linguistic or technical contexts.

See also: kaksoispiste, kolonen.