ulkonäöstään

Ulkonäöstään is a Finnish expression derived from ulkonäkö, meaning appearance. The form combines the elative case from the noun with the third-person possessive suffix, producing a phrase that translates roughly to “from his/her appearance” or “as far as his/her appearance is concerned.” It is used to indicate that a statement or judgment is based on outward features rather than inside traits.

In usage, ulkonäöstään often appears in sentences that assess or infer what someone may be like based on their looks. It is common to see it together with verbs like päätellä (to conclude) or voidaan päätellä (can be concluded). For example: Ulkonäöstään päätellen hän on nuorehko. Ulkonäöstään voidaan päätellä, että hän on varakas. These constructions signal that the speaker is drawing a conclusion from outward appearance.

Nuance and style: ulkonäöstään is a descriptive, sometimes cautious or evaluative tool. It foregrounds appearance as the basis of judgment, which can risk oversimplification or stereotyping. In formal or sensitive contexts, speakers may choose to avoid making enduring claims about a person’s character solely on appearance.

Related forms include ulkonäkö (appearance) and ulkonäöltään (in terms of appearance). While both convey outward attributes, ulkonäöstään emphasizes the source of information (“from appearance”), whereas ulkonäöltään focuses on appearance as a criterion or aspect of comparison.

See also: ulkonäkö, ulkonäöltään, decision-making based on appearance.