Puoliajalle

Puoliajalle is a Finnish term used primarily in sports language to refer to the halftime period or to actions directed toward that break. The form is built from the noun puoliaika (half-time) with the allative suffix -lle, which marks direction toward something. In practice, puoliajalle is used in sentences like “Peli siirtyi puoliajalle,” meaning the game moved to halftime, or “Pelaajat menivät puoliajalle,” meaning the players went to the locker room at halftime.

Usage notes: In standard Finnish, other common ways to refer to the end of the first half include phrases like “puoliajan tauko.” Puoliajalle, however, is the idiomatic term frequent in live commentary, match reports, and sports journalism. Related forms include puoliajalla, meaning “at halftime” (location or time during the halftime period), and puoliaika, the noun for the half-time period. The term is specialized to sports contexts but can appear in metaphorical expressions to denote entering a break or a transition.

Etymology: Puoliajalle derives from puoliaika (half-time) and the allative suffix -lle, as is common for Finnish directional expressions.