Mutual Arrangement with -kkain/-kkäin
Finnish uses the suffix -kkain or -kkäin (depending on vowel harmony) to describe how things are positioned relative to one another. You will use these often when figuring out an arrangement (järjestys) for an event (tilaisuus).
Two of the most common adverbs for seating arrangements are vierekkäin (next to each other) and vastakkain (opposite each other, face to face):
| We place the chairs next to each other. | Asetamme tuolit vierekkäin. |
| At the event, we sit opposite each other. | Tilaisuudessa istumme vastakkain. |
Lines, Stacks, and Nests
When organizing objects or people in a line or a pile, attach this suffix to spatial roots to describe exactly how things are stacked or queued:
- perä (rear/back) forms peräkkäin (one behind the other, in a row).
- pää (head/top) forms päällekkäin (on top of each other).
- sisä- (inner) forms sisäkkäin (inside each other).
| The corridor in which we stand one behind the other is cramped. | Käytävä, jossa seisomme peräkkäin, on ahdas. |
| The dishes are put on the table on top of each other. | Astiat laitetaan pöydälle päällekkäin. |
| The boxes into which the goods are packed are put inside each other. | Laatikot, joihin tavarat pakataan, laitetaan sisäkkäin. |
Arrangements Using Body Parts
Several of these adverbs are built directly from body parts, often undergoing consonant gradation. For example, selkä (back) forms seläkkäin (back to back), and rinta (chest) forms rinnakkain (side by side, parallel).
| Do we sit next to each other or back to back? | Istummeko vierekkäin vai seläkkäin? |
| In this new arrangement, the chairs are not side by side. | Tässä uudessa järjestyksessä tuolit eivät ole rinnakkain. |
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