kasvoissa

Kasvoissa is a Finnish noun-form meaning “in the faces” or “inside the faces,” depending on context. It is the inessive plural form of kasvo, which means face. In everyday Finnish, the common plural nominative is kasvot, while kasvoissa is used to indicate location within multiple faces.

Morphology and usage notes: Kasvoissa is formed from the plural stem kasvo- with the inessive plural suffix -issa/-issä, yielding kasvoissa. Other related forms include kasvoissa olevat to describe “things that are in the faces,” and kasvoillaan for “on their faces.” The form is typical in descriptive or formal registers, such as anatomy, visual arts, or literary description. It is less common in casual speech, where speakers more often use kasvoilla (on the faces) or kasvot (the faces) in ordinary phrasing.

Usage context: Kasvoissa frequently appears in contexts that describe features, expressions, or anatomical details across multiple faces. It can also occur in art criticism or medical writing when discussing multiple subjects’ faces collectively.

Examples:

- In the painting, subtle expressions appear in the kasvoissa of the figures. (translation: in the faces)

- An anatomy textbook describes kasvoissa olevia lihaksia, the muscles located in the faces.

Related terms: The root kasvo- underlies the more common plural kasvot (faces). Other inflected forms include kasvoissa (in the faces) and kasvoillaan/kasvoillanne (on their faces). The term appears primarily in descriptive, scholarly, or literary Finnish rather than everyday colloquial speech.