Saksalaisen

Saksalaisen is the genitive singular form of the Finnish noun and adjective saksalainen, meaning “a German” or “German” in relation to Germany or the German language. The base form saksalainen is used as a common noun for a person from Germany and as an adjective describing something connected to Germany. In standard Finnish, saksalainen is written lowercase unless it starts a sentence.

Grammatical forms related to saksalainen include: nominative singular saksalainen; genitive singular saksalaisen; nominative plural saksalaiset; genitive plural saksalaisten. The genitive form Saksalaisen is used to indicate possession, as in phrases like “Saksalaisen mielipide” (the German’s opinion). The plural genitive “saksalaisten” is used in sentences such as “Saksalaisten mielipiteet” (the Germans’ opinions).

Usage notes emphasize that saksalainen functions both as a noun and as an adjective. It refers to people from Germany and to things related to Germany, depending on context. For naming the German language, Finns typically use the expression saksan kieli rather than saksalainen kieli. The term is generally neutral in tone and is common in everyday speech, journalism, education, and cultural discussion. Distinctions are made in Finnish between the country name Saksa and the adjectival or demonym saksalainen/saksalaiset, which are separate from the proper noun Saksa in writing.