kinpäätteellä

Kinpäätteellä is a term used in Finnish linguistics to refer to the enclitic suffix -kin, a particle attached to a word to signal inclusion, emphasis, or agreement. The suffix is written directly after the word without a space and can attach to pronouns, nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Common forms include minäkin, sinäkin, tämäkin, mekin, hänkin, and kirjaankin, among others. In essence, -kin adds a sense of “also,” “too,” or “even” to the base word.

The major functions of kinpäätteellä are to express solidarity, agreement, or shared relevance with what has been mentioned. It can be used in affirmative statements to indicate that the speaker is part of the group or situation being discussed (Minäkin olen valmis = I’m ready too). It can also mark emphasis or a mild surprise in nonegative contexts (Tämäkin on mahdollista = This is possible as well).

In negative contexts, the suffix appears as the variants -kaan or -kään, depending on vowel harmony and emphasis. For example, En minäkään tiedä means “I don’t know either,” and Ettekö tekin ole samaa mieltä? illustrates a similar participatory nuance. The -kaan/-kään forms are closely tied to negation and are one of the characteristic patterns of kin usage.

Kinpäätteellä is a common feature of everyday Finnish, widely understood across dialects and registers. It operates as a flexible clitic that can be attached to many word classes, enabling concise expression of inclusion, contrast, or stance without introducing a separate word.