minäkuvaan

Minäkuvaan is the illative form of the Finnish compound noun minäkuva, which means self-image or self-concept. In Finnish grammar, the illative case expresses direction toward something, so minäkuvaan can be understood as "into my self-image" or "toward my self-image." The base term minäkuva refers to how a person perceives themselves—the traits, abilities, and identity that constitute their sense of self.

In psychology, minäkuva is a central concept when discussing self-perception, self-esteem, and identity development. It describes the mental image a person holds of themselves and how that image influences thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Self-image develops through experiences, feedback from others, and social context, and it can affect motivation, resilience, and well-being. While minäkuva is the standard noun for the concept, discussions may also use minäkäsitys (self-perception or self-conception) to emphasize cognitive representations of the self.

The illative form minäkuvaan appears mainly in linguistic, pedagogical, or theoretical contexts to illustrate grammatical direction toward a self-image or to describe aims related to altering one’s self-image, such as in personal development or therapeutic settings. In everyday Finnish, speakers typically use the base noun minäkuva or the related term minäkäsitys rather than the illative form performed in ordinary discourse. Related terms include maankuva (worldview) and maailmankuva, which describe broader conceptions of the self in relation to the external world.