rätillä

Rätillä is the adessive form of the Finnish noun rätti, meaning a rag, cloth, or cleaning cloth. In Finnish grammar, the adessive case -llä/-llä marks the instrument or means by which an action is performed, so rätillä roughly means “with a rag” or “on a rag.” The term is common in everyday Finnish for describing the cloth used to wipe, dust, or mop surfaces.

Rätti refers to a cloth of various kinds. It is a native Finnish word and is not restricted to a single material; rätti can be cotton, terry, microfiber, or other fabrics. The concept encompasses both disposable cleaning wipes and reusable cloths, depending on the context and task.

Usage examples illustrate the meaning of rätillä. Hän pyyhki pöydän rätillä. (He wiped the table with a rag.) Pese lattia mikrokuiturätillä. (Wash the floor with a microfiber cloth.) In practice, rätillä is used whenever the cloth is the instrument of the action; the choice of material or size depends on the cleaning task.

Notes on nuance: rätillä emphasizes the tool involved rather than the action itself, and it is typically used in ordinary domestic contexts. The word is distinct from other Finnish cloth terms such as pöytäpyyhe (table towel) or sieni (sponge), though in colloquial language the exact material may be specified to clarify the kind of cloth being referred to.