Sovellettavan

Sovellettavan is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective sovellettava, meaning "applicable" or "to be applied." In Finnish legal and administrative language, it is used to connect the adjective to a noun in the genitive, signaling that a specific rule, regulation, or document is the one that applies in a given context. The phrase is most often found with nouns such as laki (law), asetus (regulation), määräys (order), or ohje (guideline).

The grammatical role of sovellettavan is to qualify the following noun in contexts where the noun is in the genitive or part of a broader construction like “sovellettavan lain mukaan” (according to the applicable law) or “sovellettavan asetuksen mukaan.” The combination typically appears in formal texts, contracts, policy documents, and regulatory communications. It is an inflected form of an adjective rather than a standalone noun, so it relies on the noun it modifies for full meaning.

Usage notes: Sovellettavan is common in official and legal prose and helps specify that a particular provision or rule is the one currently in force. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for simpler phrasing, but the construction remains standard in statutes, court filings, and administrative guidance.

Examples:

- Sovellettavan lain mukaan vastuu siirtyy työntekijälle.

- Sovellettavan asetuksen mukaan työnantajan on ilmoitettava työssäolon aloittamisesta.

- Sovellettavan ohjeen mukaan tiedot on toimitettava viimeistään tänään.