todelliseen

Todelliseen is the illative singular form of the Finnish adjective todellinen, meaning real or true. In Finnish grammar, the illative case marks movement toward or into a destination, and adjectives agree with the noun they modify in case and number. Therefore todelliseen is placed before a noun in the illative to express “to the real …” or “into the real …” when describing that noun.

Etymology and form: todelliseen is formed from the base todellinen with the illative ending -en, yielding a phrase such as todelliseen maailmaan (to the real world) or todelliseen tilanteeseen (to the real situation). The form is used only when the accompanying noun is in the illative singular; other cases or numbers require corresponding inflected forms of the adjective.

Usage: Todelliseen is common in both literal and figurative language. It often contrasts theory or hypothesis with actuality, as in discussions about empiricism, reality testing, or real-world applications. The adjective retains its meaning of authenticity or actuality, distinguishing real-world conditions from imagined or hypothetical ones.

Examples:

- Keskustelu siirretään todelliseen maailmaan. (The discussion is moved to the real world.)

- Tutkimus tarkastelee todelliseen tilanteeseen liittyviä tekijöitä. (The study examines factors related to the real situation.)

Relation to related terms: Todellinen is the base adjective meaning real or true; todelliseen is one inflected form used specifically with illative constructions. The Finnish term closest in sense but differing in nuance is reaalinen, which also means realistic or real but can carry a more technical or external realism sense.

See also: Finnish grammar, illative case, adjectives in Finnish, real-world in Finnish discourse.