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 like hymy levisi kasvoilleen (a smile spread across his/her face) and pelko näkyi kasvoillaan (fear showed on his/her face). The construction can be used with both singular and plural subjects and with various verbs of perception, emotion, and expression. While kasvoilleen emphasizes the presence or emergence of something on the face, related forms such as kasvoillaan refer more broadly to what is on someone’s face, often in a general descriptive sense.

Morphologically, kasvoilleen reflects Finnish case and possessive suffixes and is part of the broader system of noun phrases that express location and possession. It is primarily a literary or descriptive device in everyday Finnish, where more straightforward phrasing (for example, pelko näkyi kasvoilla) may also be used depending on style and register.

See also: Finnish grammar, case endings, possessive suffixes, expressions of facial expression in Finnish.