Lähi

Lähi is a Finnish term that functions primarily as a prefix and as an adjective meaning near or nearby. In standard usage it appears in compounds that describe proximity or local settings. The most common examples are lähi- formations such as lähiympäristö, meaning the surrounding environment, and lähiö, meaning a suburb or neighborhood. The prefix is productive in Finnish and can attach to a wide range of nouns to convey immediacy or locality.

Lähi is not typically used as an independent proper noun. There is no widely recognized municipality or region officially named Lähi in Finnish toponymy. In place names, lähi- tends to appear as part of descriptive terms rather than as a standalone geographic label. The term is nevertheless common in everyday speech as well as in administrative and service contexts.

In health and social care, the component can appear in terms such as lähihoito, indicating local or home-based care provided within the community rather than at a distant facility. This reflects the broader usage of lähi to denote proximity and locality in Finnish. Overall, lähi serves as a productive linguistic tool for expressing spatial relationships rather than as a fixed geographic designation.