Koehenkilösanalla

Koehenkilösanalla is a term that appears in some Finnish-language educational resources and discussions to describe a type of language exercise or example sentence that uses a personal name (henkilö) in order to illustrate grammatical phenomena. The phrase is composed of ko:e meaning “test” or “trial,” and sanalla form of sana “word,” with the sense of “with the word” as in an example sentence that centers on a personal name. In practice, koehenkilösanalla refers to using a proper name in a sentence to demonstrate inflection, agreement, or syntax, rather than relying on a generic noun.

Etymology and form

The construction is not a fixed standard term in all Finnish grammars, but rather a descriptive label that can be found in teaching materials, grammars, or online discussions. It highlights the method of presenting language rules through sentences that feature a specific person’s name, which helps learners observe how different cases, possessives, or verb forms interact with a proper noun.

Usage

In instruction, koehenkilösanalla may be used to show how a sentence changes with different inflections or case endings when the subject is a named person, such as Mikko, Laura, or Matti. For example, teachers might present variants like “Mikko näkee outoa,” “Mikko näki outoa,” or “Mikko näkee Mikon kirjan” to illustrate subject-verb agreement and possessive forms with a named referent. The approach is pedagogical and can vary in detail among sources.

See also

Finnish grammar, personal pronouns, noun phrases, example sentences.