Sillään

Sillään is a Finnish word that functions as an adverb or a postposition. As an adverb, it generally means "thus," "so," "in that way," or "like that." It often refers back to a previously mentioned manner or action, indicating a consequence or a similar way of doing something. For example, one might say "Hän teki sen sillään" which translates to "He did it like that" or "He did it so." The exact nuance can depend on the context.

When used as a postposition, sillään typically requires a possessive suffix on the following noun or pronoun and translates to something like "with the intention of" or "for the purpose of." For instance, "hän lähti matkaan lastensa sillään" could mean "he left on his journey for the sake of his children." In this usage, it signifies the reason or motivation behind an action.

The word sillään is related to the demonstrative pronoun "se" (that) and the locative suffix "-llään." This etymological connection helps explain its adverbial and postpositional functions, which both relate to indicating a particular state, manner, or purpose. Its usage is common in everyday spoken and written Finnish.