Samaisen

Samaisen is a Finnish adjective meaning the same or the aforementioned, used to refer back to something already mentioned in the conversation or text. It functions as an attributive modifier and agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case. The form samainen can appear in singular, while samaiset is used for the plural, for example samainen talo (the same house) and samaiset rakennukset (the same buildings). In phrases expressing possession or relation, samaisen and related forms appear before a noun in genitive, as in samaisen talon ovi (the door of the same house) or samaisen kirjailijan teokset (the works of the same author).

Usage and nuance:

Samainen is relatively formal and more common in written Finnish, literary prose, or careful narration. It is used when the writer wants to emphasize sameness or to avoid repeating a noun that has already been introduced. It often carries a slightly more precise or elevated tone than the more everyday sama.

Distinction from sama:

Sama is the more everyday term for “same.” Samainen carries a nuance of pointing to a specific previously mentioned item and can convey a sense of exact redundancy or reiteration in a controlled way. In modern prose, samainen appears most often in written or formal contexts, while sama remains widespread in speech and informal writing.

Etymology and grammar:

Samainen derives from sama + the suffix -inen, forming a standard Finnish adjective. It declines like other adjectives in number and case, with forms such as samainen, samaisen, samaisen, samaiset, depending on the noun it accompanies.

See also:

sama, ident, reference terms in Finnish grammar.