puoliset

Puoliset is a Finnish noun referring to the spouses or partners in a marriage or registered partnership. It is the plural form of puoliso and is used to denote the couple as a unit or to speak about both partners collectively.

Usage and context: Puoliset commonly appears in written or formal language, including legal, administrative, or policy texts when discussing rights, obligations, or property related to a couple. In everyday speech, speakers typically refer to each partner individually (for example, by saying “aviopuoliso” for a spouse) or describe the couple as such. The term can appear in expressions such as puoliset oikeudet (spousal rights) or puoliset velat (debts shared by the spouses).

Grammatical notes: The singular form is puoliso, with possessive forms such as puolison (the spouse’s). The plural possessive is puolisoiden (the spouses’). The form puoliset is specifically the plural nominative used when referring to both spouses as a group.

Relation to related terms: Puoliso is the base noun; aviopuoliso is a common synonym emphasizing the marital relationship. In legal and civil contexts, puoliset may be used to indicate collective aspects of a couple, while more precise terms may specify each partner or the nature of the relationship (married, registered partner).

See also: puoliso, aviopuoliso, avioero, perintöoikeus.