tekosyynä

Tekosyynä is a Finnish noun in the translative case, meaning “as an excuse” or “in the capacity of an excuse.” It is derived from tekosyy, which means “an excuse” or “a pretext.” The form tekosyynä is used to describe something that serves as an excuse, or to denote the role of the excuse in a given statement. For example, Hän käytti sairastumistaan tekosyynä jättääkseen tapaamisen väliin. Se oli pelkkä tekosyy.

Etymology: Tekosyynä combines tekosyy with the translative suffix -nä/-nä to mean “as” or “in the role of.” This construction is typical when characterizing how something is presented or used. In everyday language, tekosyynä often introduces the stated justification behind an action.

Usage and connotation: The term commonly carries a negative connotation, implying that the reason is made up or insufficient to justify the act. It contrasts with neutral selitys (explanation) or peruste (ground/justification). A related term is preteksti, used in Finnish to mean “pretext” and is closely aligned with tekosyynä as a statement that hides the real motive.

See also: tekosyy, preteksti, selitys, peruste.