äänettömissä

äänettömissä is a Finnish phrase that can be translated as “in silence” or “in the silent places.” It is the inessive plural form of the adjective äänetön, meaning silent or without sound. The base adjective äänetön is formed from the noun ääni (sound) with a negative suffix, indicating lack of sound. When declined, äänettömissä is used with plural nouns in the inessive case, for example in strings like äänettömissä tiloissa (“in silent places/rooms”).

Grammar and variants

The related forms include äänettömässä (inessive singular, “in a silent [place]”) and äänettömiä (partitive or other plural forms depending on grammatical role). Finnish adjectives agree with the noun they modify in number and case, so äänettömissä is typically seen with plural nouns in the inessive, as in tiloissa or tiloissa ollessaan. The word functions as an adjective in front of a noun, or as part of a predicate describing a scene or atmosphere.

Usage

The expression is commonly used to describe environments or moments characterized by quietness or restraint. It can convey mood in descriptive prose, journalism, and art criticism, and may appear in titles or headings to evoke silence. Examples in everyday language include phrases like “äänettömissä tiloissa” ("in silent spaces") or “keskustelu äänettömissä” ("conversation in silence"). The term can also carry metaphorical weight, signaling restraint, solemnity, or contemplation.

See also

ääni, äänetön, hiljaisuus, suomen kielen adjektiivien taivutus

Note: This article treats äänettömissä as a standard Finnish inflected form and does not reference a specific work or proper noun by that title.