Toisten

Toisten is a Finnish grammatical form rather than a separate lexical item. It is the genitive plural form of the determiner/adjective toinen, more commonly seen in its plural form toiset in the nominative. When used as toisten, it marks possession or association by others and appears before a noun in the genitive case. In practice it means “of the others” or “others’.”

In usage, toisten commonly appears in phrases that describe perspectives, opinions, or experiences belonging to people other than the speaker. Examples include toisten mielipiteet (the opinions of others), toisten kokemusten mukaan (according to others’ experiences), and toisten silmin (in the eyes of others). It enables speakers and writers to present external viewpoints or to contrast one’s own position with that of others.

Distinctions are important: toisten is distinct from omien, the genitive plural of oma, meaning “one’s own.” While omien refers to the speaker’s or a referenced subject’s own possessions or perspectives, toisten attributes them to others. The form is productive across formal, academic, and everyday Finnish, especially in discussions of social, political, or evaluative statements where external validation or differing viewpoints are relevant.

See also: Finnish grammar on the genitive case, possessive pronouns in Finnish, omien.