taaksepäin

Taaksepäin is a Finnish adverb meaning “backwards,” “toward the rear,” or “in the reverse direction.” It describes movement, orientation, or progression toward the back or in reverse order. The word is formed from taakse (behind, at the back) and päin (toward), and functions as a fixed compound used to indicate direction or posture.

In usage, taaksepäin commonly accompanies verbs of motion or action. For example, one might say that a vehicle moved taaksepäin (backward), or that a person took a step taaksepäin (backward). It can also describe looking or turning toward the rear, as in phrases like katso taaksepäin (look back) or käänny taaksepäin (turn around). Beyond literal direction, taaksepäin can convey temporal or sequential reversal, such as looking back in time or reversing the order of steps.

In technical and everyday language, taaksepäin is also used in expressions related to compatibility or progression. A notable example is taaksepäin yhteensopivuus, meaning backward compatibility in software or hardware contexts.

Etymology and nuance: taaksepäin is a compound of taakse and päin, combining to express movement toward the rear. It is the standard Finnish term for this idea and is widely used across registers, though takaperin is a related, more literary or emphatic synonym in some contexts.

See also: takaperin; taaksepäin katsominen; taaksepäin yhteensopivuus; eteenpäin.