kohdan

Kohdan is the genitive singular form of the Finnish noun kohta, which broadly means point, place, moment, or section depending on context. In practice, kohdan is used to indicate possession or association with a particular part of a text, document, or discourse.

In everyday and formal Finnish, kohdan is most common in references to sections or subsections within laws, regulations, manuals, and other structured writings. For example, phrases like kohdan 3 mukaan mean “according to section 3” or “in accordance with section 3.” The form is a standard grammatical construction rather than a distinct lexical item with separate meanings. It can also appear in phrases where the meaning is “the section’s …” or “of the section.”

Etymology and relation: kohdan derives from kohta, a longstanding Finnish noun. The form kohdan signals the genitive case, used to link the noun to another element in the sentence, such as a clause, instruction, or citation. The distinction between kohta and kohdan is a matter of case rather than different words.

Usage notes: Because kohdan is a grammatical form, it is most commonly encountered in official, legal, or technical texts where sections, clauses, or points are enumerated. In other contexts, speakers may use alternative expressions for “section” or “part,” but kohdan remains a standard way to refer to a specific section in Finnish.

See also: kohta (Finnish), Finnish grammar, genitive case in Finnish.