vasemman

Vasemman is a Finnish grammatical form, specifically the genitive singular of the adjective/noun vasen, meaning left. It appears when vasen is used to describe a noun in a genitive construction, signaling possession or relation to the left side. In other words, vasemman is not a stand-alone word with its own meaning; it is a inflected form used within larger noun phrases.

In practice, vasemman is most often found in phrases that specify something related to the left side or left-hand counterpart. For example, in the expression vasemman käden sormet, which translates to the fingers of the left hand, vasemman modifies käden in its genitive form. Another common usage is vasemman reunan, meaning the left edge or border (with the noun in genitive). These constructions are common in anatomical, geographical, and directional contexts, among others.

The form follows Finnish adjective and noun inflection patterns, where the genitive singular of vasen yields vasemman when paired with a following noun in genitive or in fixed left-hand phrases. It is predominantly a grammatical tool rather than a separate lexical item, used to convey a relationship to the left rather than to introduce a new semantic concept.

Related terms include vasen (the left) and, for political contexts, vasemmistolainen or vasemisto, which denote left-wing ideologies rather than the directional sense captured by vasemman.