Reversible Compound Words – Finnish vocabulary
May 2, 2023
August 28, 2023
Reversible compound words do an interesting switcheroo that influences their meaning. I’m not sure if this phenomenon has an official name. What I’m referring to is words such as riisipuuro and puuroriisi.
An yhdyssana (compound word) is a word that consists of two (or more) words glued to one another. In Finnish, compound words are often consistently written as one word. In contrast, English has open (e.g. father figure), closed (e.g. grandfather), or hyphenated compound words (e.g. father-in-law). Some terms can have all three of these options as valid alternatives: for instance, lifestyle, life–style, and life style.
In Finnish, the latter part of the word is the base word (grammatical sources may refer to this as the “head” – edusosa), while the first part specifies or limits the meaning of the latter unit (grammatically this part is usually called the “modifier” – määriteosa).
This topic is worthy of an article because, as far as I can tell, not every language follows this pattern. I’ve noticed that a large portion of Arabic students over the years have been putting the modifier behind the base word. For some words, this changes the whole meaning of the word.
List of reversible compound words
The following list of compound words is very loosely organized by how abstract/difficult these word pairs are.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| riisipuuro | rice porridge: porridge made from rice |
| puuroriisi | porridge rice: rice used to make porridge |
| korttipeli | card game: a game which uses cards |
| pelikortti | playing card: a card used in a game |
| vesihana | water tap: a tap from which water comes |
| hanavesi | tap water: water that comes from a tap |
| kirjatentti | book exam: an exam based on a book |
| tenttikirja | exam book: a book to read for exam |
| lihapata | meat stew: a stew containing meat |
| pataliha | stew meat: meat used in stew |
| perheystävä | family friend: a friend of the family |
| ystäväperhe | another family that’s friends with yours |
| tankotanssi | pole dancing: a dance using a pole |
| tanssitanko | dancing pole: a pole used in pole dance |
| pussitee | bag tea: tea made from a tea bag |
| teepussi | tea bag: a bag containing a tea portion |
| häkkilintu | cage bird: a bird which is kept in a cage |
| lintuhäkki | bird cage: a cage for holding a bird |
| purkkiruoka | canned food: food from a can |
| ruokapurkki | food can: a can containing food |
| koirarotu | dog breed: a breed of dogs |
| rotukoira | purebred dog: a dog that is a certain breed |
| hiekkaranta | sandy beach: a beach with sand on it |
| rantahiekka | beach sand: sand found on the beach |
| päivälepo | siesta, afternoon nap: rest taken during the day |
| lepopäivä | rest day: a day used to rest |
| työmaa | worksite: a site where construction is happening |
| maatyö | farm work: work done on a farm (often maatyöt) |
| tuotemerkki | brand name: a brand of a product line |
| merkkituote | name brand: a product of a certain brand name |
| palkkapäivä | pay day: the day you get paid |
| päiväpalkka | daily pay: the pay for one workday |
| silmälasit | eyeglasses: glasses to see better |
| lasisilmä | glass eye: an eye made of glass |
| myymäläauto | mobileshop: a vehicle functioning as a store |
| automyymälä | car dealership: a store specialized in selling cars |
| vuorotyö | shift work: a job where you work shifts |
| työvuoro | shift: a shift in a job with shifts |
| pullomaito | bottled milk: milk that is stored in a bottle |
| maitopullo | milk bottle: a bottle which contains milk |
| lisäaika | grace, overtime: time that’s added, e.g. in sports |
| aikalisä | time-out: additional time, minute to e.g. regroup |
| pyöräretki | bike ride: a trip made using a bike |
| retkipyörä | trekking bike: a bike which is used for trekking |
| kuorma-auto | truck, lorry: a vehicle which carries cargo |
| autokuorma | cargo, carload: cargo carried by a vehicle |
| vesilasku | water bill: a bill for water consumption |
| laskuvesi | low tide: the water when the sea level is low |
| kirjakauppa | bookstore: a store with books |
| kauppakirja | bill of sale: a written proof of sale |
| juhlavuosi | jubilee: a special year of celebration, e.g. 20 years |
| vuosijuhla | anniversary: a celebration which happens annually |
| laivalippu | ship ticket: a ticket granting passage on a ship |
| lippulaiva | flagship: a ship occupied by the fleet’s commander |
| sarjakuva | comic: an image consisting of sequential pictures |
| kuvasarja | slideshow: a sequence of images/pictures |
| lehtikuva | magazine photo: a picture in a magazine |
| kuvalehti | magazine: a magazine containing pictures |
| pintamaali | topcoat: paint on the top-most surface |
| maalipinta | paint surface: a surface which is painted |
| sairaala-alue | hospital grounds: the area a hospital is built on |
| aluesairaala | regional hospital: the hospital of an area |
| huonekasvi | houseplant: a plant suited to be kept inside |
| kasvihuone | greenhouse: a building meant for plants to grow |
| ovipeili | door mirror: a mirror which is embedded in the surface of a door |
| peiliovi | mirrored door: a door which has a mirror embedded into it |
| ruukkukukka | potted plant: a flower/plant which is meant to be grown in a pot |
| kukkaruukku | flowerpot: a pot in which plants are grown |
| matkailuauto | camper, motor home: a recreational car meant for travel |
| automatkailu | car tourism: travel type where a car is used as means of transportation |
| lomakoti | holiday home: a home where you spend your vacation |
| kotiloma | furlough: a vacation spent at home |
| katukauppa | street trading: trade happening in the streets, or a physical place there |
| kauppakatu | shopping street: a street with shops on either side |
| kokoelmalevy | compilation album: a record with compiled contents |
| levykokoelma | record collection: a collection of records |
| liimapaperi | adhesive paper: paper with an adhesive surface |
| paperiliima | paper glue: glue meant to be used to glue paper |
| liimapuu | glued laminated timber: timber held together with glue |
| puuliima | wood glue: glue meant for wooden surfaces |
| hoitolaitos | home: a facility that takes care of people |
| laitoshoito | institutional care: the care given in certain facilities |
| kotihoito | home care: health care provided in a patient’s home |
| hoitokoti | nursing home: a home that provides care to its residents |
| kouluauto | driving school vehicle: a car used in a driving school |
| autokoulu | driving school: a school where people learn to drive |
| miesvoima | manpower: the power exerted by a single person |
| voimamies | strongman: a person who performs feats of strength |
| vesisade | rain: rain in the form of water (ie. not snow or hail) |
| sadevesi | rainwater: water sourced from rain |
| koulutyttö | schoolgirl: a girl attending school |
| tyttökoulu | girls’ school: a school for girls |
| viinilaatikko | wine box: a box containing wine |
| laatikkoviini | box wine: wine which is sealed inside a plastic bag inside a box |
| maastopyöräily | mountain biking: the hobby of biking in uneven terrains |
| pyöräilymaasto | cycling terrain: a terrain suited for biking |
| määräraha | budget, appropriation: money set aside for a specific purpose |
| rahamäärä | sum: an amount of money |
| miesviha | misandry: hatred of or prejudice against men |
| vihamies | enemy: a person who is hated by someone, who is someone’s enemy |
| lasivitriini | glass display case: a showcase with a glass door |
| vitriinilasi | showcase glass: glass used in display cases |
| eläinhäkki | animal cage: a cage used to keep an animal in |
| häkkieläin | caged animal: an animal kept in a cage |
| tulvavesi | flood waters: water which floods an area |
| vesitulva | water flood: a flood consisting of water |
| poutapilvi | cumulus cloud: a cloud which won’t produce rain |
| pilvipouta | dry cloudy weather: rainless weather with some clouds |
| jalkapuu | stocks: a wooden, medieval restraint and punishment device |
| puujalka | pegleg: a leg made of wood |
| tukijalka | outrigger: a leg providing support to a construction |
| jalkatuki | footrest: footstool, a support piece for your legs |
| korttiluotto | credit: credit on a credit card |
| luottokortti | credit card: a card connected to a credit account |
| mainosvalo | neon light: light which comes from a neon sign |
| valomainos | neon sign: an advertisement lit up with neon light |
| pukujuhla | costume party: a party to which a costume must be worn |
| juhlapuku | evening dress: a suit/dress/clothes worn of formal occasions |
| matkatyö | traveling work: work which requires traveling around |
| työmatka | commute: a travel route to work (also: business trip) |
| numeropalvelu | directory service: a service with a phone number you can call |
| palvelunumero | hotline: a phone number you can call to get a certain service |
| valomerkki | light signal: a signal given with light, e.g. to another car |
| merkkivalo | pilot light: a light that gives a signal, e.g. “on” light on an iron |
| rahapeli | game of chance: a game where you use money to bet |
| peliraha | pretend money: money for a game, e.g. monopoly |
| vuosiluku | date: the number of a year, e.g. 2010 is a vuosiluku |
| lukuvuosi | school year: a year which you use to study |
| järjestysluku | ordinal number: a number signifying order, e.g. fourth, fifth |
| lukujärjestys | timetable: an organization tool displaying school hours |
| naapuripöytä | neighboring table: a table close to your own |
| pöytänaapuri | tablemate: the person sitting next to you at a table |
| kuvakieli | figurative language: language which is used figuratively |
| kielikuva | figure of speech: a metaphor, word or phrase used figuratively |
| piirileikki | circle game: a game where kids move in a circle while holding hands |
| leikkipiiri | playgroup: a group of children gathered to play |
| pula-aika | economic crisis: a time with a lack of something |
| aikapula | time crunch: a lack of time, e.g. at work |
| pinta-ala | surface area: the size of an area |
| alapinta | soffit: the surface of the underside of something |
| palstaviljely | allotment farming: farming done on a (rented) plot |
| viljelypalsta | allotment: a plot of land meant to grow plants on (often rented) |
| korkeusennätys | altitude record: the current standing record of height |
| ennätyskorkeus | record height: a height which breaks the record |
| avaruusaika | space age: historical time period started with the launch of the Sputnik |
| aika-avaruus | spacetime: a space with four dimensions (including time) |
| pääsyy | primary reason: the reason which is the most significant |
| syypää | culprit: the person at fault, the guilty person |
| murhamies | murderer: a male murderer |
| miesmurha | man murder: a murder which targets a male person |
| elinsiirto | organ transplant: the transfer of an organ |
| siirtoelin | transplant organ: an organ which is transplanted into a new body |
| työryhmä | workgroup, committee: a group of people working on something |
| ryhmätyö | group work: work done with several people in a group |
| koeajo | test run: a run during which a e.g. vehicle is tested |
| ajokoe | driving test: a test required to acquire a driver’s license |
| lääkeresepti | drug prescription: a prescription for medication |
| reseptilääke | prescription drug: a medicine which must be prescribed to acquire |
Did you know about the concept of reversible compound words already? I hope you found some compound words or pairs you want to study in this list!
A very interesting topic! I noticed this phenomenon of reversible compound words but didn’t really know a name for it. Aika-avaruus is an interesting word as it is actually in the reverse order than in English (spacetime), German (Raumzeit) or Swedish (rumtid) but in the same order as for instance in Polish (czasoprzestrzeń). I guess it’s so because spacetime is not just space or just time but two of those things combined together.
Also, according to Wikipedia leipäjuusto can also be called juustoleipä, which would make it also a reversible compound word though the meaning is the same.
By the way, are you familiar with the word tutkijatohtori? It’s used only in academic environment and its meaning is equivalent to postdoctoral researcher. Sometimes I get it wrong and say tohtoritutkija. Somehow it sounds more natural to me, maybe because it corresponds more to the English term. On the other hand, Google search for tohtoritutkija gives some results so maybe it is just less common? I guess it depends if one thinks about it as a researcher who has a PhD degree (tohtoritutkija) or a person with PhD who conducts research (tutkijatohtori).
when I found this article I was like “let me search for the one pair I think I know” and it wasn’t there 😂
I guess maybe because it’s not a pure switch, as an “n” (genitive n?) sneaks in to one of them and some kpt nonsense happens 😉. so maybe only deserves an honorable mention?
viikonloppu: weekend (Sat/Sun
loppuviikko: end of the week (Thu/Fri timeframe?)
Yes, there are several reversible compound words like these where one of the two has the genitive’s -n- in the middle. I haven’t included them, but it is indeed a thing that occurs!
The honorable mention will forever be yours here in the comments for people to find! 🙂