ihmisten

Ihmisten is the genitive plural form of the Finnish noun ihminen, meaning a person or human. As a genitive, ihmisten is used to express possession or association, often translating to “of the people” or “people’s” in English. It appears in phrases that describe something belonging to or involving people, such as ihmisten oikeudet (the rights of people) or ihmisten hyvinvointi (the well-being of people).

Grammatically, ihmisten marks a relationship to a plural subject. The nominative plural of ihminen is ihmiset, while the genitive plural is ihmisten. This form is typically followed by a head noun in the nominative or other cases, for example: ihmisten oikeudet, ihmisten enemmistö (the majority of the people). Its usage is common in formal, academic, and policy-oriented Finnish, where it helps distinguish what belongs to people as a group from other entities.

Usage notes, scope and nuance: ihmisten can refer to humanity in a broad sense or to a specific considered group of people, depending on context. It is not a proper noun and does not designate a particular crowd unless defined by surrounding words. In everyday speech, speakers may choose more specific terms (e.g., tietty ryhmä ihmisiä) if the intended group is known, but ihmisten remains standard for universal or general references to people.

See also: ihminen, ihmiset, ihmisoikeudet.