puhuttelen

Puhuttelen is a Finnish term that refers to the act of addressing someone directly in speech. In linguistic and discourse-analytic contexts, puhuttelu describes how speakers engage a listener through direct address, often by using a person’s name, a title, or a specific pronoun form. The concept encompasses both the choice of address term and the placement of the address within a spoken or written utterance.

Etymology and meaning: Puhuttelu is formed from the verb puhuttella, meaning to address someone, with the nominal suffix -tel-/-telu that turns verbs into nouns denoting an activity or process. The resulting noun denotes the act of addressing someone in direct speech. The related verb form puhuttelen (minä puhuttelen) means “I address [someone]” or “I am addressing.”

Usage and scope: Puhuttelu is used to describe the direct engagement of the listener in conversation. It covers using the listener’s name or a title (for example, addressing a teacher as “opettaja” or a formal address such as “herra/rouva”), as well as the choice between informal and formal speech (sinä vs te). Finnish does not have a separate vocative morphology; direct address is achieved through the chosen address word and syntactic placement within the clause. Puhuttelu is often discussed in relation to politeness, register, and social distance, since different contexts call for different address forms.

Examples: Direct address by name or title can be seen in phrases like “Hei, Maria, miten voit?” or “Hyvää päivää, herra Virtanen.” The verb form “puhuttelen” illustrates the act from the speaker’s perspective: “I address [someone].”

See also: Direct address, Vocative, Finnish politeness and register, Finnish grammar.