näköiset

Näköiset is Finnish adjective form used to describe appearance or visibility. It is the plural nominative and accusative form of näköinen. Like other Finnish adjectives, näköinen agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case, so näköisen becomes näköiset when describing a plural noun. The root näkö- stems from näkö, meaning sight or view. The plural partitive form is näköisiä.

Usage of näköiset falls mainly into two senses. First, it can describe something that is observable or visible: näköiset merkit (visible signs), näköisiä jälkiä (visible traces). This sense emphasizes perceptibility or what can be seen. Second, it can express resemblance, indicating that things have a similar appearance. In this sense Finnish more commonly uses samannäköinen or samanlainen; for example, saman näköiset ihmiset means “people who look alike,” and samban näköiset is rarely used.

Notes on grammar and style. Näköiset is primarily used as an attributive modifier in front of a plural noun. Predicative use with plural subjects is less common; speakers often rephrase to avoid awkward constructions. When referring to resemblance, prefer samannäköiset or samanlaisen, e.g., samannäköiset ihmiset.

See also. Näkö (sight, view) and näköala (viewpoint, panorama). In related discussions, terms dealing with visibility and appearance often appear with sama- or saman- prefixes to express likeness.