Kirjansa

Kirjansa is a Finnish noun phrase that means “one’s own book” or, in context, “his/her book.” It is formed from the noun kirja (book) with the third-person possessive suffix -nsa/-nsä, which yields kirjansa. The form is used to indicate possession by a third-person singular possessor, most commonly hän (he/she).

Grammatically, the suffix -nsa/-nsä marks third-person possession. To express “their book” Finnish typically uses kirjansa with an explicit plural possessor, such as heidän kirjansa, to avoid ambiguity. In everyday use, kirjansa by itself is understood in context as referring to a third-person owner.

Usage and nuance: Kirjansa appears in both spoken and written Finnish. It can function as a straightforward possessive noun phrase and as part of larger expressions. For example: Hänellä on paljon lainakirjoja, mutta hänen kirjansa on pöydällä. Kirjansa mukaan hän aikoo julkaista uuden teoksen. In the second example, kirjansa mukaan means “according to his/her book,” a common idiom in journalism and rhetoric.

See also: Finnish grammar, possessive suffixes.