näköiseksi

Näköiseksi is a Finnish word that functions as the translative form of the adjective näköinen. The translative suffix -ksi expresses a change of state or designation, roughly corresponding to “to become (something)” or “to take on the appearance of (something).” As a result, näköiseksi is used when describing a transformation into a certain look or role, or when something is described as having a particular appearance.

Etymology and form: The base is näköinen, meaning related to appearance or look. Adding the translative suffix -ksi yields näköiseksi, forming the standard way to express “to look like” in terms of change of state or designation. In Finnish, other inflected forms of näköinen include näköisen (genitive) and näköisenä or näköisenä (various contexts), while näköisiksi is the plural translative form.

Usage: Näköiseksi appears most often in constructions with verbs of becoming or making, such as mudarama turn into, or to make something look a certain way. It can describe how someone or something ends up appearing, or how the appearance is designated in a description. It is also used in idiomatic phrases and in formal or written Finnish to express a definite appearance rather than a current, momentary look.

Related terms: The root näkö- connects to other forms such as näköinen (appearance-related) and words like näkökulma (point of view). The concept of appearance in Finnish extends into phrases involving näköä, näköisen, and other case forms, depending on syntactic role.

See also: näköinen; translatiivinen -ksi suffix; Finnish adjective inflection.