# jalka, sääri



## Gavril

As I understand it, _jalka _can mean

1) The entire lower limb (=reisi, sääri sekä jalkaterä)

2) The foot (= jalkaterä)

3) The leg (= reisi ja sääri)


Also, as far as I know, _sääri _can mean

1) The shin (= alaraaja polvesta nilkkaan)

2) The leg (= reisi ja sääri)


Is this understanding correct?

Kiitoksia paljon


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## Grumpy Old Man

I think your understanding is correct as far as informal and/or unofficial usage is concerned. There are two words, _sääriluu_ and _reisiluu_, though, to refer to the chief bones of the limb. So, if a surgeon were to say: _Sääri täytyy leikata,_ he would doubtless mean the shin.


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## kirahvi

Could you give an example, where _sääri_ is used for the whole leg?

The only instance I can think of is when a woman is told to have _hyvät sääret_, and even in that case I'm not sure, if thighs actually are included or not. Other than that I can't come up with any example, where there would be a possibility to use _sääri_ in a meaning that includes _reisi_ as well.

It might be just my usage of the language, but I'd say that _sääri_ only means the shin.


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## Gavril

kirahvi said:


> Could you give an example, where _sääri_ is used for the whole leg?
> 
> The only instance I can think of is when a woman is told to have _hyvät sääret_, and even in that case I'm not sure, if thighs actually are included or not. Other than that I can't come up with any example, where there would be a possibility to use _sääri_ in a meaning that includes _reisi_ as well.
> 
> It might be just my usage of the language, but I'd say that _sääri_ only means the shin.



I'm not sure if your question was for me or GOM, but I don't remember ever seeing _sääri _used to mean the whole leg. However, in the WSOY dictionary, the first translation given for the word _sääri _is "leg", so I thought it was worth confirming.


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## kirahvi

Gavril said:


> I'm not sure if your question was for me or GOM, but I don't remember ever seeing _sääri _used to mean the whole leg. However, in the WSOY dictionary, the first translation given for the word _sääri _is "leg", so I thought it was worth confirming.



I think it might be a question of talking about women's legs. Good legs would be _hyvät sääret_ in Finnish, so in that context the word is translated as leg. But I can't come up with other instances, where it'd feel natural. Maybe GOM can?


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## Grumpy Old Man

kirahvi said:


> I think it might be a question of talking about women's legs. Good legs would be _hyvät sääret_ in Finnish, so in that context the word is translated as leg. But I can't come up with other instances, where it'd feel natural. Maybe GOM can?


That's what came to my mind, too! When I hear _pitkät sääret_, I don't just think of the part below the knees.


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