vanhemmiltaan

Vanhemmiltaan is a Finnish expression meaning “from their parents.” It is used to indicate the source of learning, influence, inheritance, or other aspects that originate with a person’s parents. The phrase is common in everyday language as well as in written texts when describing where certain traits, values, or possessions come from.

Grammatically, vanhemmiltaan is formed from vanhemmat (the parents) in the ablative plural form, often used with verbs of acquisition, upbringing, or inheritance. The phrase can accompany a third-person reference to indicate that something belongs to or originates with the subject’s parents, for example when describing what someone learned or what they inherited.

Usage notes and examples:

- Hän oppi vanhemmiltaan hyvät tavat. (He learned good manners from his parents.)

- Hän peri talon vanhemmiltaan. (He inherited the house from his parents.)

- Vanhemmiltaan hän on saanut vahvat arvot. (From his/her parents, he/she has received strong values.)

Related expressions include vanhempiensa mukaan, which means “according to his/her parents,” indicating information or opinion sourced from the parents rather than origin or inheritance.

In sum, vanhemmiltaan is a versatile Finnish phrase used to denote origin, whether it concerns upbringing, values, traits, or material inheritance, and it reflects the influence of one’s parents on the subject.