mielipiteensä

Mielipiteensä is a Finnish noun phrase used to refer to someone’s opinion, literally meaning “one’s opinion” or “his/her opinion.” It is formed from the noun mielipide (opinion) together with the third-person possessive suffix -nsä, which marks possession by the subject of the sentence.

Form and grammar: The suffix -nsä attaches to the noun to indicate that the opinion belongs to him/her (or to them, depending on context). The word can appear with singular or plural referents depending on the subject; the number of the possessed entity is inferred from the verb and context rather than from the suffix alone.

Usage: Mielipiteensä is used when stating or quoting someone’s specific opinion. It commonly follows verbs like kertoa (to tell), esittää (to present), and ilmaista (to express). Examples: Hän kertoi mielipiteensä. They esittivät mielipiteensä. Hänen mielipiteensä on muuttunut. These sentences translate to “He stated his opinion,” “They expressed their opinions,” and “Her opinion has changed,” respectively, with the possessive form indicating ownership.

Notes: In Finnish, the possessive construction does not itself fix the number of the possessed noun; context clarifies whether a single opinion or several are meant. For emphasis on the owner, one can use explicit possessives such as hänen (his/her) or omasta mielipiteestään (from his/her own opinion).

Related terms: mielipide (opinion); the system of Finnish possessive suffixes.