vaihtoehto

Vaihtoehto is a Finnish noun meaning an option or alternative among several possible choices. It is used to describe a choice that can be made or a substitute that could be adopted. The term can refer to concrete selections, such as options in a menu, or to abstract possibilities, such as different scenarios in planning.

Etymology and sense: The word combines vaihto, meaning change or substitution, with ehto, meaning condition or stipulation. Together they convey a selectable condition or path among competing possibilities. The plural form is vaihtoehdot, and the genitive forms are vaihtoehdon (singular) and vaihtoehtojen (plural).

Usage: Vaihtoehto is common in everyday Finnish, business, education, technology, and law. Examples include: “Sinulla on kolme vaihtoehtoa,” meaning there are three options to choose from; “valitse erin vaihtoehto,” or more naturally “valitse vaihtoehdosta yksi”; and in user interfaces, where labels such as “vaihtoehdot” appear for lists of selectable items. In economics and planning, one speaks of alternative scenarios or ratkaisut as vaihtoehdot, and the adjective form vaihtoehtoinen is used as in “vaihtoehtoinen ratkaisu.”

Related terms: The adjective vaihtoehtoinen describes something that serves as an option or alternative. Related phrases in Finnish include “vaihtoehtojen vertailu” (comparison of options) and “vaihtoehdot” in plural. While synonyms exist in context (such as mahdollisuus or vaihtoehto as a broader concept), vaihtoehto is the standard term for a defined selectable option.