Pohjilleen

Pohjilleen is a Finnish expression that means “to the bottom” or “to its lowest point.” It is used to describe a situation that has collapsed or deteriorated to a very low level, especially in economic, financial, or organizational contexts, but it can also refer to physical sinking.

The phrase is typically employed with verbs that indicate decline or sinking, such as mennä (to go), laskea (to fall), or uppoa (to sink). It conveys a sense of severe deterioration rather than a minor decline. Common contexts include the economy, a company’s finances, market demand, or morale, though it can describe physical objects as well.

Examples include: Talous on mennyt pohjilleen (The economy has sunk to the bottom). Yrityksen liikevaihto on mennyt pohjilleen viimeisen vuoden aikana (The company’s revenue has fallen to the bottom over the last year). Laiva upposi pohjilleen (The ship sank to the bottom).

Notes: Pohjilleen is one variant of the expression; pohjille is also used in related constructions such as mennä pohjille or mennä pohjilleen, depending on grammar. The term is informal to neutral in tone and is common in journalism, commentary, and everyday speech rather than in formal technical writing.

Etymology: The word is built around pohja, meaning bottom or base, combined with a directional/allative element to indicate movement toward the bottom, forming a fixed idiomatic phrase that describes reaching the lowest point.