kasvoilleen
Kasvoilleen is a Finnish expression built from the word for face (kasvot/kasvo) combined with a case ending and possessive suffix that together convey “onto his/her/its face” or, more loosely, “across his/her face.” The form is most commonly encountered in descriptive or narrative Finnish to indicate how an emotion or expression is manifested on someone’s face. It is frequently used with verbs and constructions that describe appearance, reaction, or emotion.
In usage, kasvoilleen functions to place the action or state on the subject’s face. Examples include phrases
Morphologically, kasvoilleen reflects Finnish case and possessive suffixes and is part of the broader system of
See also: Finnish grammar, case endings, possessive suffixes, expressions of facial expression in Finnish.