etsinnässä

Etsinnässä is a Finnish noun form meaning “in search (of)” or “being sought.” It is the inessive singular form of the noun etsintä, which denotes the act or process of searching. The expression describes something that is currently being looked for or pursued, and it can refer to people, objects, information, or goals.

Grammatically, etsinnässä is formed from the stem etsintä with the inessive ending -ssä. Because Finnish uses cases rather than prepositions to mark relationships, etsinnässä can be used in sentences such as “kadonnut henkilö on etsinnässä” (the missing person is being sought) or in news headlines like “Kadonnut mies etsinnässä.”

Usage: In everyday speech, etsinnässä is used to describe ongoing searches, especially by authorities in cases of missing persons, objects, or data. It also appears in media to report an active search. In non-criminal contexts, speakers may prefer phrases like “on hakusessa” or use forms such as “etsimme” depending on nuance and formality.

Examples: Kadonnut henkilö on etsinnässä. Kadonnut tavara on etsinnässä. Poliisi on ilmoittanut, että etsintä jatkuu. Kadonnut mies etsinnässä is a common headline style.

Notes: The form implies ongoing activity and does not inherently indicate success or failure of the search. It is most commonly used in formal reporting, law enforcement contexts, and descriptive narration of ongoing pursuit.