Puheenvuorosi

Puheenvuorosi is a Finnish term meaning "your turn to speak" and is used to indicate the right or opportunity to address a meeting or audience. It derives from puheenvuoro (a speaking turn) with the possessive suffix -si, yielding the sense of “your speaking turn.” In formal Finnish settings—such as parliamentary debates, municipal councils, and civic or academic meetings—the puheenvuoro is allocated in sequence. A participant typically requests the floor, often with the phrase pyydän puheenvuoroa, and the chair or moderator grants the floor before the speaker begins.

Procedural use commonly governs puheenvuoron timing and conduct: time limits, relevance to the agenda, addressing the chair, and avoiding interruptions. The concept is also reflected in meeting minutes and agendas to indicate who may speak or who has spoken. The plural form puheenvuorot refers to several speaking turns, while puheenvuoronsaaja denotes the person who will deliver a puheenvuoro.

Puheenvuorosi embodies Finland’s emphasis on orderly discussion and equal opportunity to participate in public discourse. It is a standard feature of formal Finnish language use in administrative, political, and educational contexts. See also: debate, parliamentary procedure, Finnish language.