välimatkan

Välimatkan is the genitive form of välimatka, a Finnish noun meaning the distance between two points, in space or in time. It is used in everyday language as well as in geography, transport, and sports to denote how far apart things are or how long a journey lasts. The term emphasizes the span or length of a path rather than speed or duration.

Etymology aside, välimatka is formed from väli- “between” and matka “journey” or “distance.” In practice, välimatkan may appear in phrases such as välimatkan pituus (the length of the distance) or to describe the distance between locations on a map. The more general synonym etäisyys is often used for abstract distance, while välimatka carries a sense of travel or the extent of a route.

Distances are typically measured in metric units: meters and kilometers. In mathematics and physics, the concept of distance is described by etäisyys or, in geometry, by a distance function (a metric). Välimatka in everyday language refers to the travel distance between locations or the span between events, and it can differ from the actual route distance when traveling by road or rail. On Earth, the straight-line distance (geodesic or great-circle distance) often differs from the path distance.

Usage examples include travel planning, map reading, and sports contexts. For instance, välimatkan pituus kohteiden välillä on noin 20 kilometriä describes a distance of about 20 kilometers. The term remains common in Finnish writing and speech when the focus is on the extent between points rather than on the route or speed.