kontaktiin

Kontaktiin is the illative singular form of the Finnish noun kontakti, meaning contact, connection, or contact information. The illative case in Finnish expresses motion toward or entry into something, so kontaktiin literally means “into contact” or “to contact.”

Kontakti as a loanword: The noun kontakti comes from the English word contact, via the Swedish form kontakt, and has been part of Finnish vocabulary since the early 20th century. The illative ending -iin attaches to form kontaktiin.

Usage: In everyday Finnish, the common way to express making contact is the verb phrase ottaa yhteyttä or yhteydenotto. Kontaktiin is more likely to appear in formal or technical texts, or in expressions referring to entering into contact with someone or something. Examples: “Yritys pääsi kontaktiin uuden kumppanin kanssa” meaning “The company came into contact with a new partner.” “Tutkijat pääsivät kontaktiin useisiin ulkomaisiin laboratorioihin” meaning “Researchers established contact with several foreign laboratories.” The phrase “kontaktiin pääseminen” or “kontaktiin ottaminen” can be used to refer to the establishment of contact.

See also: kontakti, yhteydenotto, yhteydenpito.