taitojaan

Taitojaan is a Finnish grammatical form that means “one’s own skills” or “one’s abilities.” It is the third-person singular possessive construction attached to the noun related to taito (skill) in its plural partitive form taitoja, and it is used to indicate that the skills belong to the subject of the sentence.

In use, taitojaan typically functions as the object of a verb, especially verbs that express utilizing or displaying abilities, such as käyttää (to use), osoittaa (to show), kehittää (to develop), or ansaita by using one’s talents. Examples include: Hän käytti taitojaan voiton saavuttamiseen. (He used his skills to achieve the victory.) Hän korosti taitojaan haastavassa tehtävässä. (She emphasized her abilities in the challenging task.)

The form is common in everyday Finnish as well as in journalism and literature, and it highlights possession of the skills by the subject. It contrasts with taitonsa, which denotes a single skill possessed by the subject, whereas taitojaan conveys multiple or indefinite skills being exercised or demonstrated.

Etymology and related forms: taitojaan derives from taito (skill) with the plural partitive marker and a third-person possessive suffix, yielding a phrase that closely maps to “his/her skills.” Related forms include taitonsa (his/her skill) in the singular, and other possessive constructions that shift number and focus.