ulkoisen

Ulkoisen is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective ulkoinen, which means external, outer, or foreign. It is used when the noun it modifies is in the genitive case, or when describing possession or association in a larger noun phrase. In Finnish grammar, adjectives agree with the noun in case and number, so ulkoisen typically appears before a genitive noun, for example in phrases such as ulkoisen maan hallitus (“the government of the foreign country”) or ulkoisen järjestelmän osat (“parts of the external system”).

Etymology and meaning: Ulkoisen derives from ulkoinen, built on the root ulko- meaning outside or external, with the typical adjective ending that marks genitive singular when preceding a genitive noun. The sense remains “external” or “foreign” in most contexts, distinguishing something from an internal or domestic reference point.

Usage and context: Ulkoisen is common in legal, political, and technical writing, where distinctions between internal and external domains matter. It can describe institutions, systems, funding, regulation, or other entities related to the outside or other countries. While ulkoisen is specifically the genitive form, the base adjective ulkoinen appears in nominative positions (ulkoiset talot, “external houses”) and other cases as required by Finnish grammar.

Related terms: Other Finnish adjectives with similar meanings include ulkoinen (external), ulkopuolinen (external/outsider, outside of something), and ulkomainen (foreign, of a different country).

See also: ulkoinen, ulkopuolinen, ulkomainen.