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Definition 2024


sisu

sisu

English

Noun

sisu (uncountable)

  1. strength of will; determination; perseverance; regarded as an integral part of Finnish culture

References


Estonian

Etymology

From sise- + -u. Cognate with Finnish sisu.

Noun

sisu (genitive sisu, partitive sisu)

  1. content, something that is inside

Declension

Derived terms


Finnish

Etymology

The same root as sisä- (inner).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈsisu]
  • Hyphenation: si‧su

Noun

sisu

  1. willpower, grit, stamina, spunk, determination, perseverance, courage, guts (unwavering strength to keep going even when the going gets tough)
    Voimamme olivat aivan lopussa, mutta jatkoimme pelkällä sisulla.
    We were physically finished, and continued with mere willpower.
    Hänellä on paljon sisua. Luulen, että hän jaksaa siksi juosta pitkään.
    He has a lot of stamina. I suppose that is why he can run for a long time.
    Onko sinulla sisua sanoa "ei" pomollesi?
    Do you have the guts to say "no" to your boss?
  2. sisu (willpower, determination and perseverance when regarded as mythically Finnish traits of character)
    • 2011, Onni Palaste, Talvisodan ääniä [Voices of the Winter War], WSOY, ISBN 9510371084, 9789510371084:
      Kymmenkertaisella jalkaväen ylivoimalla, kymmenkertaisen tykistömäärän tukemana ja 150 hyökkäysvaunun voimalla vihollinen avasi tietä jalkaväelle, vastassaan vain suomalainen sisu.
      With tenfold superiority in number of troops, backed with a tenfold amount of artillery and with a force of 150 tanks, the enemy opened the passage for its infantry, the Finnish sisu as its only counterforce.
    • 1967, Jörn Donner, Uusi Maammekirja, Otava, page 54:
      En tiedä, kuka ja ketkä ovat vastuussa siitä, että Suomen saavutusten uskotaan olevan sisun aikaansaannosta. Sotakorvauksia on pidetty sellaisena, mutta myös 1950—60 -lukujen vaihteessa tapahtunutta teollisuuden laajentumista. Haluan varoittaa sinua: kaikki tämä on pelkkää myyttiä, jolla ei ole mitään tekemistä todellisuuden kanssa. Kestävyys ei ole tässä maassa sen suurempaa kuin muuallakaan.
      I don't know who is to be held responsible for the conception that all Finnish achievements are believed to be the result of sisu. War reparations have been held as such, but also the expansion of industry that took place in the 1950s and 1960s. I want to warn you: all this is a mere myth, which has nothing to do with reality. Endurance in this country is not any greater than elsewhere.
  3. temper (tendency to be of a certain type of mood, especially of a bad or defiant one)
    Komentelu kävi hänen sisulleen.
    The bossing tried his temper.

Declension

Inflection of sisu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative sisu sisut
genitive sisun sisujen
partitive sisua sisuja
illative sisuun sisuihin
singular plural
nominative sisu sisut
accusative nom. sisu sisut
gen. sisun
genitive sisun sisujen
partitive sisua sisuja
inessive sisussa sisuissa
elative sisusta sisuista
illative sisuun sisuihin
adessive sisulla sisuilla
ablative sisulta sisuilta
allative sisulle sisuille
essive sisuna sisuina
translative sisuksi sisuiksi
instructive sisuin
abessive sisutta sisuitta
comitative sisuineen

Synonyms

Derived terms

  • -sisuinen
  • sisukas
  • sisukkaasti
  • sisukkuus
  • sisuuntua

Compounds

  • sisukimppu
  • sisunnäyte
  • sisunpurkaus
  • sisupartio
  • sisupartiolainen
  • sisupussi

Anagrams


Kilivila

Verb

-sisu- [1]

  1. to live
  2. to exist, to be

Idioms

  • asisu yam
  • kusisu, bala

References

  1. Gunter Senft (1986), Kilivila: the Language of the Trobriand Islanders. Berlin • New York • Amsterdam: Mouton de Gruyter, p. 370. ISBN 3-11-010781-3