päinvastaisesti

päinvastaisesti is a Finnish adverb that translates to “however,” “conversely,” or “on the contrary” in English. The word is derived from “päinvastinen,” meaning “opposite” or “inverse,” combined with the adverbial suffix –sti. Its primary function is to introduce a statement that contrasts with or opposes a preceding statement.

In Finnish syntax, päinvastaisesti typically appears at the beginning of a clause or sentence, followed by a comma. It signals a reversal of the expectation set by the previous context. For example: “Hän löysi työn, mutta päinvastaisesti etsimänsä tulojen odotusta,” meaning “He found a job, but on the contrary, it did not meet the expected income.” The adverb can also appear mid-sentence to mark the contrast: “Mitä kieltä käytetään, sitä päinvastaisesti se on ”.

Comparatively, the adverb is similar to other Finnish contrastive markers such as “toisaalta” (on the other hand) and “esin” (contrarily). However, päinvastaisesti tends to emphasize a direct opposite or contradiction rather than a mere alternative viewpoint.

In written Finnish, the word is used in academic, journalistic, and literary texts to articulate counterarguments or to highlight discrepancies. It is rarely used in spoken language, where speakers often prefer simpler structures or conjunctions like “mutta” (but) or “kuitenkin” (however).