oikeinpäin

Oikeinpäin is a Finnish term meaning “in the correct orientation” or “upright.” It is a compound of oikea, meaning correct, and päin, meaning side or direction, and it describes something that is oriented in the proper way. The phrase is used in everyday speech and in instructions to specify that an object should be positioned correctly, such as in packaging, assembling furniture, hanging a picture, or setting up electronics.

Common usage includes phrases like “Kuva on oikeinpäin” (the picture is right-side up) or “Aseta reunat oikeinpäin” (place the edges correctly). It is the opposite of “väärinpäin,” which means “upside down” or “the wrong way round.”

Orthography and form: oikeinpäin is usually written as a single word in Finnish, though line breaks may hyphenate it if necessary in writing. In most texts it remains closed.

Etymology and nuance: The word is formed from oikea and päin and primarily conveys a physical sense of proper orientation. It can also be used figuratively to refer to acting in a sensible or proper way, though this metaphorical usage is less common than its literal sense of orientation. In everyday language you might hear expressions like “panna oikeinpäin” to indicate adjusting something to be correct, conveying a sense of order or correctness.