keskenään

Keskenään is a Finnish adverb meaning “among themselves” or “with one another.” It is used to describe actions, decisions, or relations that occur within a group, rather than with outsiders, and it often conveys reciprocity or shared consideration within that group.

Grammatical use: Keskenään functions as an adverbial modifier of a verb or clause. It is typically attached to verbs in sentences where the subject is plural or collective, and it helps express how something is done or decided within the group. It can be used with present, past, or perfect tenses, depending on the context.

Examples illustrate its meaning: Lapset puhuivat keskenään. (The children spoke among themselves.) Henkilöt päättivät keskenään, miten projekti edistetään. (The people decided among themselves how to proceed with the project.) Sopimus tehtiin keskenään, ilman ulkopuolisten osallistumista. (The agreement was made among themselves, without outsiders’ involvement.)

Nuances: Keskenään emphasizes interaction and agreement within a group. Related expressions include toisilleen, which can denote actions directed toward other individuals or outside recipients, and keskinäinen, an adjective meaning mutual or reciprocal when describing relationships between parties.

Summary: Keskenään is a common, neutral term in Finnish for referring to intra-group actions or decisions, highlighting that the activity or outcome arises from the members of the group themselves.