Ympärille

Ymparille is a Finnish directional postposition and adverb meaning around, with a sense of movement toward the outer edge of something or placement around it. It is used to indicate that an action is directed to or positioned at the perimeter of an object, rather than simply being located nearby. The form is commonly joined to a noun in the genitive to specify what is being circled or encompassed, and it often appears in imperative or descriptive clauses.

Examples illustrate typical usage. Kokoontukaa pöydän ympärille. (Gather around the table.) Pensaat istutettiin talon ympärille. (Plants were planted around the house.) Kävelimme talon ympärille. (We walked around the house.) In each case, ympärille conveys the idea of moving toward or arranging around the boundary of the object in question.

Usage notes and related forms. Ymparille is one of several Finnish spatial postpositions used to describe relations to objects. It contrasts with more static expressions like talon ympärillä, which emphasizes location around the exterior rather than a directed movement toward the boundary. The choice between ympärille and other forms depends on whether the emphasis is on motion toward a perimeter or on being positioned around it. Additional related terms include ympäri, which also means around but is used in slightly different locational or directional contexts.

See also: ympäri, talon ympärillä, pöydän ympärille.