lisukkeena

Lisukkeena is a Finnish phrase used to indicate that a food item is served as a side dish to accompany the main course. It is formed from lisuke (side dish) with the essive suffix -na, yielding lisukkeena, which translates roughly as "as a side dish" in English. The construction expresses the role a dish plays in a meal rather than its standalone identity.

It is the essive case in Finnish grammar, used to describe function or state. The form is commonly found in recipes, menus, and restaurant descriptions to specify what accompanies the main dish. It can be attached to various nouns describing foods, in both singular and plural forms (for example, lisukkeena perunat or lisukkeena vihannekset).

Usage examples: In a recipe, you might see "Kalaa lisukkeena perunamuusi" indicating that mashed potatoes serve as the side dish with the fish. On a menu, a dish could be described as "Kana lisukkeena vihannekset" or "Pihvi lisukkeena riisi" to show accompanying sides. This pattern is common in Finnish culinary writing and everyday speech, and it helps readers understand what should accompany the main component of a meal.

See also lisuke. Lisukkeena is a straightforward example of how Finnish uses grammar to indicate function, and it translates to "as a side dish" in English.