avustaja

Avustaja is a Finnish noun meaning "assistant" or "helper." It denotes a person or entity that provides support to another in various tasks, roles, or processes. The term is widely used across sectors, including offices, education, healthcare, and public administration, as well as in informal contexts.

Etymology: The word comes from the verb avustaa, meaning "to assist" or "to aid." The agent noun suffix -aja forms a noun for a person performing the action.

Usage and examples: In employment, avustaja appears in titles such as toimistoavustaja (office assistant), opetusavustaja (teaching assistant), tutkimusavustaja (research assistant), and henkilökohtainen avustaja (personal assistant, often in social services for people with disabilities). In everyday language it may simply refer to someone who helps with a task. In public administration or law, avustaja can denote a professional who supports a lawyer, researcher, or official in a formal setting.

Technology and modern usage: In digital contexts, avustaja describes software or services that assist users, such as digitaalinen avustaja or älykäs avustaja, i.e., digital or smart assistants and voice assistants.

See also: assistant; teaching assistant; research assistant.