Adjectives with Fixed Modifiers – Yhdysadjektiivit
The name of this post is not incredibly catchy, but it’s the best one I could think of. Adjectives with fixed modifiers (alkumäärite) consist of a regular adjective with an element in front of it that modifies its meaning.
If you’re a beginner, you should focus on the page about adjectives and their opposites, and the colors first. The subject of this page is significantly more advanced.
These modifiers can have different functions. Some of them make the adjective stronger (ilmiselvä, vuorenvarma), others make it more specific (lumivalkoinen, taivaansininen). I will be marking the different parts of these adjectives with the modifier bolded just like in this paragraph.
If you like this type of word play, you will probably also enjoy my page on animal comparisons.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| hiirenhiljaa | as quiet as a mouse |
| hiuksenhieno | super fine, subtle |
| iki-ihana | exquisit |
| iki-ihastunut | overjoyed |
| ikivanha | really old, ancient |
| ilmiselvä | totally clear, obvious |
| jääkylmä | ice-cold |
| kalmankalpea | deathly pale |
| kivikova | rock-hard |
| kristallinkirkas | crystal clear |
| kullankallis | supersweet |
| kullankeltainen | golden yellow |
| kuolemanvakava | deadly serious |
| langanlaiha | really skinny |
| likomärkä | soaked, drenched |
| lumivalkoinen | snowwhite |
| läpimätä | rotten to the core |
| patalaiska | bone-idle |
| pikimusta | pitch black |
| pilkkopimeä | pitch dark |
| piripintaan | to the rim |
| putipuhdas | spick-and-span |
| pähkähullu | stark mad |
| päivänselvä | clear as day |
| raivohullu | raving mad |
| ratkiriemukas | uproarious, side-splitting |
| ruohonvihreä | grass-green |
| rutikuiva | dry as dust |
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| rutiköyhä | penniless |
| salamannopea | quick as lightning |
| supisuomalainen | very Finnish |
| sysimusta | jet-black |
| taivaansininen | sky-blue |
| tuiki tavallinen | very normal |
| tuiki tärkeä | of the utmost importance |
| tulikuuma | red-hot |
| tulipunainen | fiery red |
| typötyhjä | completely empty |
| täpötäysi | overcrowded, full |
| täyskypsä | fully ripe |
| umpihumalassa | dead drunk |
| umpijäässä | frozen solid |
| umpikuuro | stone deaf |
| umpirakastunut | very much in love |
| umpisokea | blind as a bat |
| upouusi | brand new |
| upporikas | stinking rich |
| veitsenterävä | razor-sharp |
| ventovieras | complete stranger |
| vihoviimeinen | the very last |
| vitivalkoinen | pure white |
| vuorenvarma | dead certain |
| ypöyksin | utterly alone |
Korpela also lists the following “word-specific intensifiers”:
As the links show, often these words are connected together without a space.