tauko

Tauko is a Finnish noun meaning a pause, break, intermission, or recess. It refers to a temporary interruption of activity or the absence of something for a period of time. The term is widely used in everyday language to denote short rests as well as longer breaks.

Common uses and contexts include work and study (for example, kahvitauko “coffee break” and lounastauko “lunch break”), daily routines, and leisure. It is also used for interruptions in performances or broadcasts, such as theatre intermissions or breaks between TV or radio segments. In music, tauko can denote a pause in a performance. In media terminology, more specific phrases may be used, such as mainoskatko for an advertising break.

In sports and other timed activities, the concept of a break is often expressed with aikalisä, or in some contexts, the loanword timeout is used in Finnish, depending on the sport.

Declension and forms: tauko is a native Finnish noun with standard inflection. Singular forms include tauko (nominative), tauon (genitive), and taukoa (partitive). Plural forms include tauot or taukoja in the nominative, with taukojen in the genitive plural. Usage patterns often favor taukoa in constructions like pitää taukoa “to take a break.”

Overall, tauko denotes a deliberate, temporary halt in activity, applicable across work, education, culture, and daily life, and it forms a productive basis for many compound terms in Finnish.