poissa

Poissa is a Finnish adverb meaning away or not present. It is used to indicate that someone or something is not at the expected location or is temporarily unavailable. The word can function as a predicate on its own or as part of a phrase that specifies what is away from where.

Common usages include describing people, places, and objects. For people, one may say “Hän on poissa” (he/she is away) or “Hän on poissa töistä” (he/she is away from work). For examples involving places or services, phrases such as “poissa koulusta” (absent from school) or “poissa käytöstä” (out of service) are typical. The term often appears in school attendance, workplace reports, and public notices.

Related forms in Finnish include poissaolo, meaning absence or the state of being away, and poissaoleva, an adjective describing someone who is absent. These forms are used to discuss absence more explicitly or as a descriptor in sentences like “poissaolo on huomattava” (the absence is noticeable) or “poissaoleva työntekijä” (the absent employee).

Etymology traces poissa to a core Finnish meaning of away or distant, with the word widely attested in modern Finnish. The usage is broad, spanning everyday conversation, administrative language, and signage, and it does not imply a permanent departure but rather a temporary state of being away or unavailable.