kokonaan

Kokonaan is a Finnish adverb meaning completely, entirely, or wholly. The word derives from the root koko, meaning “whole,” and is used to express total extent of an action, state, or description. It is commonly employed with verbs to indicate that something is done to the full extent and can also modify adjectives to emphasize a complete quality.

In usage, kokonaan typically appears after the verb or with auxiliary constructions, but Finnish word order remains flexible and emphasis can shift. Examples include: Hän teki työn kokonaan itse. (He did the work completely by himself.) Projekti on kokonaan muuttunut. (The project has changed completely.) Kyse on kokonaan uudesta lähestymistavasta. (This is a completely new approach.)

The term is distinct from the adjectival kokonainen, which means “whole” or “entire” when describing a noun, whereas kokonaan functions as an adverb to modify verbs, adjectives, or other elements that describe degree.

See also: koko, kokonainen, kokonaisuus.