Kertomerkki

Kertomerkki is a Finnish term that translates roughly to “narrative marker” or “story marker.” It is not a formal category in standard Finnish grammar, but it is used in linguistics, literary analysis, and language teaching as a convenient label for textual cues that signal storytelling and narrative structure.

The word is formed from kertoa, meaning “to tell,” and merkki, meaning “mark” or “symbol.” In practice, a kertomerkki encompasses devices that introduce, frame, or transition within a narrative, including shifts in voice or perspective and the presentation of reported speech.

Common types of kertomerkki include opening formulas such as “Oli kerran” (There was once), which establish a storytelling frame; reporting verbs like “hän sanoi” or “kertoen,” which introduce direct or indirect speech; and framing phrases such as “Kertomuksen mukaan” (According to the story), which situate information within the narrative. Transitions that indicate a change in perspective or focalization can also function as kertomerkkejä.

Relation to broader concepts: In narratology and discourse analysis, kertomerkki overlaps with discourse markers, frame narratives, and methods of signaling narrative perspective or reported content. The term is therefore most useful as an analytic label rather than a fixed grammatical category.

Notes: Because “kertomerkki” is not universally established as a formal term, it appears mainly in pedagogical or descriptive contexts. In many sources, the same features are described using standard terminology such as discourse markers, reported speech, or narrative perspective.