puolestani

Puolestani is a Finnish phrase that functions as a pronoun-based expression meaning “on my part,” “for me,” or “as far as I am concerned.” It is formed from the preposition or postposition puolesta, which conveys “on behalf of” or “in defense of,” combined with the first-person possessive suffix -ni, indicating the speaker. In practice, puolestani serves to mark the speaker’s stance within a sentence or clause, often in the standard pairing minun puolestani, meaning “on my part” or “for me.”

Usage and nuances

Puolestani is commonly used to express agreement, permission, or personal viewpoint in discussion and writing. It can appear in full form as minun puolestani, or, in contexts where the speaker’s stance is clear, the standalone form puolestani may take a backseat to the surrounding verb or sentence structure. Typical translations include “as for me,” “I, for my part,” or “on my behalf.” It is frequent in formal debate, opinion pieces, and courteous dialogue.

Relation to other forms

A closely related form is puolestaan, which means “on the other hand” or “on its own part” and refers to the opposing side or different perspective. While puolestani refers to the speaker’s side, puolestaan points to another party or view. These forms are distinct but share the underlying root related to “side” or “part.”

Translation notes

In English, translations vary by context and can range from “as for me” to “on my part” or “for my part.” The expression highlights the speaker’s personal position within a broader discussion.