arvoisa

Arvoisa is a Finnish honorific adjective meaning esteemed or honorable. It is used in formal address in written and spoken Finnish to convey respect to a person or group. The term typically precedes a title or a name, as in Arvoisa herra, Arvoisa rouva, or Arvoisa tohtori.

In usage, arvoisa functions as a courtesy form in formal communication and is especially common in official or ceremonial contexts. It can pair with titles such as herra (Mr.), rouva (Mrs.), nebo with professional titles like tohtori (doctor), ministeri (minister), or presidentti (president). For example, one might begin a letter with Arvoisa presidentti Niinistö or Arvoisa tohtori Korhonen. When addressing more than one recipient, the plural form Arvoisat is used, for instance Arvoisat kuulijat or Arvoisat hallituksen jäsenet. The form is primarily found in written correspondence and formal speeches and is less common in casual conversation.

The use of arvoisa reflects Finnish traditions of politeness and formality in official communication. While it remains standard in many formal contexts, contemporary writing, especially in informal emails or online messages, may omit arvoisa in favor of more casual greetings. In neighboring languages, closely related honorifics exist, but arvoisa remains distinctly Finnish in its conventional usage.