työnsä

Työnsä is a Finnish noun form that marks possession of work by a third-person subject. It is formed from the noun työ (work) in its genitive form työn, combined with the third-person possessive suffixsä, yielding työnsä. The form signals that the work referred to belongs to the subject, and it is typically translated as his work or her work, depending on context. It is not the first-person possessive; for that you would use työni (my work).

Usage and meaning: Työnsä is commonly used when discussing someone performing or completing tasks and when referring to the outcome of that person’s efforts. For example, Hän teki työnsä means “He did his work.” In longer statements, it can function with adjectives or adverbs: Hän teki työnsä hyvin, and Työnsä on valmis means “His/Her work is finished.” The construction can carry nuances of responsibility or accountability for the work.

Linguistic notes: Finnish nouns form possessives through person-specific suffixes attached to the genitive stem. The third-person possessive suffixsä attaches to the genitive form työn, producing työnsä. The form is generally used without an explicit possessor when the subject is clear from context; it can also appear with an explicit possessive pronoun, as in hänen työnsä, to remove ambiguity.

See also: Finnish grammar, possessive suffixes, työ, työn.