Learn Finnish: Juhla oli ihana jälleennäkeminen ystävien kanssa. - The party was a wonderful reunion with friends.

It is a compound word combining the adverb jälleen (again) and the verbal noun näkeminen (seeing). Näkeminen is formed by adding the -minen suffix to the strong stem of the verb nähdä (to see). Literally, it means "again-seeing".

Why is ystävien used instead of the basic plural ystävät?

The word kanssa (with) is a postposition. Most postpositions in Finnish require the noun they belong to to be in the genitive case. Because the sentence talks about multiple friends, we need the plural genitive form, which is ystävien.

Could kanssa be placed before ystävien in this sentence?

Yes, kanssa is one of the few Finnish adpositions that can act as both a postposition (ystävien kanssa) and a preposition (kanssa ystävien). Both require the genitive case, but putting it after the noun (as a postposition) is much more common and sounds more natural in everyday Finnish.

Why use the singular juhla here instead of the plural juhlat?

While juhlat (plural) is the most common, everyday way to say "a party" (like a birthday party), the singular juhla is often used to refer to a more formal celebration, a festival, or a significant festive occasion. Using the singular here elevates the tone, making the event sound a bit more special.