Sulkuaikoihin

Sulkuaikoihin is a Finnish term used in public discourse to refer to the periods during which social and economic restrictions were in place, most notably during the COVID-19 pandemic. The word is formed from sulku meaning lockdown or closure and -aikoihin, a suffix indicating "to the times" or "during the eras," reflecting a time-frame focus rather than a specific law. The expression is part of contemporary Finnish usage and is commonly employed in media and commentary to summarize the character of those years.

In usage, sulkuaikoihin appears in news articles, opinion pieces, and cultural writing as a shorthand for the era of restrictions on movement, gatherings, and business operations, as well as the adaptation strategies such as remote work and online schooling. It can be used descriptively about past periods or in discussions about potential future restrictions, depending on context. The phrase carries a broad, collective connotation rather than pointing to a particular policy package.

Linguistically, sulkuaikoihin illustrates how Finnish forms compound nouns to compress complex social phenomena into a single reference point. It can be encountered in references to education, mental health, and daily life during the restrictions, and has been used by authors and commentators to evoke shared experience without precise specification of dates or measures.