Tutkijoina

Tutkijoina is a Finnish grammatical form that expresses the role or function of someone as researchers. It is formed from the noun tutkija (researcher) with the suffix -na/-nä, which marks a role or identity. The plural form tutkijoina is used when referring to multiple people acting or identified as researchers; the corresponding singular form is tutkijana.

The form is typically used with verbs that indicate being or acting in a certain role, such as olla or toimia. For example, Hän toimii tutkijana. He toimivat tutkijoina projektissa. In contexts describing a group, tutkijoina emphasizes the researchers’ collective function within a given setting, such as a research team, institution, or project.

Nuances and usage notes: tutkijoina indicates a functional or contextual identity rather than a fixed occupation. It is common in academic or research settings, in project descriptions, grant applications, and interviews where the role of the people involved is specified. The construction can also appear in phrases like tutkijoina toimiminen, meaning “acting as researchers” or “working as researchers.”

Related forms include tutkijana (singular) and other -na/-nä forms that denote roles, such as opettajana (as a teacher) or insinöörinä (as an engineer). The choice between singular and plural reflects the number of people being described, with tutkijoina used for groups and contexts where multiple researchers are involved.