äänillä

äänillä is the plural adessive form of the Finnish noun ääni, meaning sound or voice. The adessive case marks location or means, and the plural -illä indicates multiple voices or sources. Therefore äänillä can be translated as “with the voices” or “by means of the sounds.” The form is common in literary, journalistic, and musical contexts, especially when describing how something is produced or conveyed through voices or sounds.

Usage and meaning: In Finnish, äänillä is often used to describe action performed through or with voices, or to indicate accompaniment by sound. It is common in descriptions of music, performances, and spoken readings. The expression can convey both physical presence (the voices themselves) and figurative impact (the effect created by those voices). It tends to appear in more descriptive or poetic language, but is also found in contemporary writing when emphasizing sonic aspects.

Examples: Laulajat täyttivät tilan äänillään. This sentence means “The singers filled the room with their voices.” In such uses, äänillä functions as the means by which the action is realized.

Related terms and notes: äänillä is part of a broader system of Finnish adessive forms used with plural nouns to indicate instrument or accompaniment. Related nouns include ääni (sound, voice) and äänet (sounds, voices). The word is primarily encountered in contexts involving music, performance, or expressive language, and is less common in everyday casual speech outside of literary or critical writing.

See also: ääni, äänet, adessiivi case in Finnish grammar.