Tällainen

Tällainen is a Finnish adjective and adverb that translates to “such,” “this,” or “like this” in English. It is used to refer to a specific example or type of something that has been mentioned or is known in the context. As an adjective, it can be combined with nouns to form phrases such as “tällainen tyyli” (such a style) or “tällainen kyky” (such a skill). As an adverb, it modifies verbs or adjectives, for example “tällainen on se" (that is such).

The word is derived from the older Finnish pronoun tällä, meaning “this here,” which has been generalized. In contemporary usage, tällainen can function in both descriptive and comparative contexts. It is often used in contrast to words like ”kuten”, which means “like” or “as”, and ”minkä", which means “which” or “what kind of”. While näin (this way) refers to manner, tällainen focuses on quality or type.

Poetic and literary usage of tällainen can convey emphasis or illustrate a particular nuance of similarity. For example, in classical Finnish poetry, the phrase “tällainen aamu” evokes a specific kind of morning with all its embodied characteristics. In modern Finnish media, newspapers and television commentary frequently use tällainen to illustrate points or emphasize a common situation.

In grammar, tällainen agrees in case, number and gender with the noun it modifies, following standard Finnish adjective declension patterns. It is a common word, taught early in Finnish language courses due to its frequent appearance in everyday speech and writing.