itse

Itse is a Finnish word that functions as a pronoun and an intensifying particle. It originates from Proto-Finnic *itse and is cognate with Estonian ise, reflecting its Finnic roots. In contemporary Finnish it conveys meanings related to self or oneself and is used to emphasize the subject or object, or to express reflexive sense.

Itse is commonly used for emphasis in clauses with flexible word order. As an emphatic pronoun, it can appear after the subject or after the verb: "Minä itse tein sen" or "Tein sen itse." It can also appear as "Hän sanoi sen itse," meaning "He said it himself." In reflexive constructions, the form itsensä is used with third-person references to indicate that the subject performs an action on itself: "Hän pelasti itsensä." Itself appears in fixed expressions such as "itse asiassa," meaning "in fact" or "actually."

In everyday language, the placement of its speech is subtle: early placement can foreground the subject, while placement after the verb can emphasize the action performed by the subject. The word is common in both spoken and written Finnish and interacts with pronoun forms to create nuanced emphasis without altering the core sense of the sentence.