Lohdutuksesta

Lohdutuksesta is a Finnish concept referring to consolation or solace. The term can denote both the act of comforting someone and the experience of receiving comfort in times of distress. In everyday language, lohdutus is something people seek after loss, disappointment, or hardship, and it can come from another person, from faith, or from inner coping strategies.

The abstract noun lohdutus is formed from the verb lohduttaa, meaning to comfort or console, with the suffix -us. The genitive form lohdutuksesta is used to indicate something related to consolation or to speak about consolation as a topic, for example in phrases like “lohdu­tukseen liittyvät ajatukset.”

Contexts and usage: In daily life, lohdutus is part of bereavement and support conversations, where empathetic words and actions aim to ease sorrow. In religion and spirituality, it is often associated with divine or communal comfort offered in hardship. In psychology and counseling, lohdutus appears as a dimension of coping and resilience, alongside strategies that help individuals process grief and recover emotional balance. In literature and the arts, lohdutus can be a thematic motif, exploring the tension between suffering and relief.

Related terms include lohduttaa (to comfort), lohu­ttuva (comforting), and lohtu (comfort, solace). The concept interacts with Finnish cultural notions of community, faith, and personal endurance, reflecting how people seek or provide solace in difficult times. See also grief work, coping strategies, and spiritual consolation.