käsiinsä

Käsiinsä is a Finnish idiomatic expression meaning “into one’s hands” or “in one’s own hands,” and is used to describe taking control of a matter or gaining possession of something. In grammar, the phrase functions as a fixed unit that can accompany verbs such as ottaa, ottaa juttu käsiinsä, meaning to take the matter into one’s own hands.

Etymology and form: The expression is built from käsi (hand) combined with a possessive suffix and a directional element that conveys transfer into the possessor’s control. It is metaphorical rather than literal, signaling initiative, responsibility, or authority being assumed by the subject.

Usage and tone: Käsiinsä is common in standard written Finnish and is also understood in everyday language. It appears in journalism, history writing, and literary prose, where a narrator or subject emphasizes personal agency or control over a situation. The phrase tends to carry a neutral or slightly formal tone, and is not restricted to any single register.

Examples:

- Hän otti jutun käsiinsä ja ryhtyi toimenpiteisiin. (He took the matter into his own hands and began taking action.)

- Laki päätyi hänen käsiinsä, ja hän päätti ryhtyä toimiin. (The law ended up in his hands, and he decided to act.)

See also: ottaa omiin käsiinsä, kädet, kättä vaille valta.