ensisilmäyksellä

enseisilmäyksellä is a Finnish adverbial phrase meaning at first sight or at first glance. It is commonly used to describe an initial impression that may later be revised after closer inspection or more information. The expression functions to set up a preliminary evaluation or description, often contrasting with later, more thorough analysis.

Etymology and form: the expression combines ens(i) meaning "first" with silmäyksellä, derived from silmäys meaning a glance, and the -llä suffix indicating manner or means. The most widely accepted form in dictionaries is ensisilmäyksellä. Some texts may encounter the variant ensisilmäyksellä or, less commonly, ensisilmäyksellä, but these are typically considered orthographic alternatives rather than distinct meanings.

Usage notes: ensisilmäyksellä is frequently used in written and spoken Finnish to preface judgments about people, objects, situations, or ideas. It signals that the following assessment is provisional. The phrase is often paired with adjectives or descriptions that may be refined after further observation, such as "enseisisilmäyksellä näyttäisi toimivalta, mutta tarkemmin katsomalla paljastuu monimutkaisuus." In contrast to deeper analysis, the expression emphasizes first-impression quality.

Related terms: other Finnish idioms with similar function include "löytyi ensi silmäyksellä" (found at a glance) and "aluksi vaikuttaa," though these do not carry the exact lexical sense of ensisilmäyksellä.

See also: glossaries of Finnish idioms, usage guides, and language corpora for examples of initial impressions in descriptive texts.