Todellisen

Todellinen is a Finnish adjective meaning real, true, or genuine. It describes something that exists in fact or corresponds to reality, as opposed to imagined, superficial, or false.

Morphology and usage: Like other Finnish adjectives, todellinen agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case. The base form is todellinen (nominative singular). The genitive singular is todellisen (e.g., todellisen tarinan juoni – the plot of the real story). The partitive singular is todellista (e.g., todellista tarinaa – real story as part of something). Plural forms include todelliset (nominative), todellisten (genitive), todellisia (partitive). The word is commonly used in everyday speech to emphasize authenticity, seriousness, or factual accuracy.

Common examples and usage: Todellinen elämä means real life. Todellinen ystävä means a true friend. Phrases such as todellisen tarinan juoni (the plot of the real story) or todellisen tapahtuman seuraukset (the consequences of the real event) illustrate how the adjective modifies nouns to convey authenticity. The term frequently appears in journalism, literature, and conversation when distinguishing what is genuine from what is merely appearance.

Etymology and related terms: Todellinen is related to the Finnish noun todellisuus (reality) and to totuus (truth). It is formed with the common Finnish adjectival suffix -llinen, indicating a quality.

See also: todellisuus, totuus. In usage, todellinen often functions as a strong, affirmative descriptor and is widely understood across Finnish dialects.