pääroolinsa

Pääroolinsa is a Finnish noun phrase meaning “one’s lead role” or “the lead role belonging to someone.” It is formed from the compound noun päärooli (lead role) plus the third-person possessive suffix, indicating possession by a certain person or entity.

Morphology and spelling considerations can be explained in general terms. The possessive suffix attached to Finnish nouns has two common allomorphs, -nsä and -nsa, chosen according to vowel harmony with the stem. In practice, this suffix creates forms such as pääroolinsa or, less commonly in some contexts, pääroolinsä, depending on the surrounding phonology and standard usage. The important point for readers is that pääroolinsa signals ownership or association of the lead role to a subject.

Usage notes. Pääroolinsa is typically used in discussions of film, theatre, or television to refer to the lead role that a specific actor or character holds. It appears in news articles, reviews, interviews, and summaries. The phrase can be pluralized or combined with other possessives in Finnish grammar (for example, “meidän pääroolimme” meaning “our lead role” or “hänen pääroolinsa” meaning “his/her lead role”), depending on the possessor and number.

Translations. The standard English rendering is “lead role” when referring to the role itself, and “one’s lead role” or “his/her lead role” when indicating possession.

See also. Päärooli, rooli, elokuva- ja teatterivalmistelu, suomen kielen omistusrajat.

Example sentences. Näyttelijä sai pääroolinsa elokuvassa. (The actor got his/her lead role in the film.) Hänen pääroolinsa elokuvassa oli kriitikoiden mukaan keskeinen. (His/her lead role in the film was considered central by critics.)