Sukulaisten

Sukulaisten is the genitive plural form of the Finnish noun sukulaiset, meaning the relatives or kin. It is used to indicate possession, association, or relation involving more than one relative, for example in phrases like sukulaisten kesken (among the relatives) or sukulaisten perintöoikeudelliset kysymykset (inheritance-law matters concerning relatives).

The base noun sukulaiset refers to family members who are related by blood or by marriage. The term can denote relatives as a group or be used in reference to individual members depending on context. The genitive plural sukulaisten signals that something belongs to or concerns the relatives as a group.

In Finnish usage, sukulaisten appears primarily in descriptive or legal contexts, as well as in everyday speech when discussing family networks. Common collocations include sukulaisten kesken, which frames activities or exchanges that occur within the kin group, and sukulaisten suhteet, referring to relationships among relatives. The related terms include sukulainen (relative), sukulaissuhde (kinship/relative relationship), and verisukulaiset (blood relatives).

Cultural and linguistic notes: kinship terms in Finnish distinguish between close and extended relatives through different word forms and compounds, but sukulaisten specifically functions as a grammatical form rather than a standalone concept. The usage mirrors broader Finnish patterns for inflected noun phrases that indicate possession or association.

See also: sukulaiset, sukulaisuus, lähisukulaiset, verisukulaiset.