Signification
To stop supporting or helping someone.
Contexte culturel
In Finnish culture, 'selkäänpuukotus' (stabbing in the back) is the ultimate betrayal. Turning one's back is seen as the first step toward this. The 'Jante Law' (Janteloven) influences social behavior; turning your back on your community is seen as a sign of thinking you are 'better' than them. In the age of social media, 'unfollowing' is the modern equivalent of turning one's back. Loyalty to the 'työyhteisö' (work community) is high. Turning your back on a colleague is a serious HR issue.
Use with 'kokonaan'
Add 'kokonaan' (completely) to make it stronger: 'Hän käänsi selkänsä kokonaan.'
Check the suffix
Always check if you need 'selkäni', 'selkäsi', or 'selkänsä'.
Signification
To stop supporting or helping someone.
Use with 'kokonaan'
Add 'kokonaan' (completely) to make it stronger: 'Hän käänsi selkänsä kokonaan.'
Check the suffix
Always check if you need 'selkäni', 'selkäsi', or 'selkänsä'.
Heavy weight
This is a strong idiom. Don't use it for small disagreements.
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of 'selkä' with the possessive suffix.
Minä en koskaan käännä _________ ystävilleni.
The subject is 'Minä' (I), so the suffix must be -ni.
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Valitse oikea lause:
The target of the action must be in the allative case (-lle).
Complete the dialogue.
A: Miksi olet surullinen? B: Koska paras ystäväni ________________.
The context of sadness implies a personal betrayal.
Match the sentence to the situation.
Poliitikko käänsi selkänsä lupauksilleen.
Lupaukset (promises) relate to political or formal commitments.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesMinä en koskaan käännä _________ ystävilleni.
The subject is 'Minä' (I), so the suffix must be -ni.
Valitse oikea lause:
The target of the action must be in the allative case (-lle).
A: Miksi olet surullinen? B: Koska paras ystäväni ________________.
The context of sadness implies a personal betrayal.
Poliitikko käänsi selkänsä lupauksilleen.
Lupaukset (promises) relate to political or formal commitments.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes, if you abandon a pet, you can say you turned your back on it, though 'hylätä' is more common.
Almost always. It implies a failure of loyalty or duty.
The opposite would be 'olla jonkun tukena' (to be there for someone).
Only if you are accusing someone of a serious breach of contract or trust. It's quite dramatic.
No, 'selkänsä' is used for both 'his/her' and 'their' in Finnish.
Ghosting is a type of turning your back, but 'kääntää selkänsä' is broader and more serious.
Yes, you can turn your back on a thing, like 'alkoholille' (alcohol) or 'menneisyydelle' (the past).
Yes, in this idiom, even if many people are doing it, they each turn their one back.
Hän käänsi selkänsä minulle.
Yes, it's a staple of Finnish melancholic pop and rock lyrics.
Expressions liées
jättää pulaan
similarTo leave someone in trouble.
puukottaa selkään
builds onTo stab in the back.
osoittaa kylmää kättä
similarTo give the cold shoulder.
hylätä
synonymTo abandon.
