Epävarmaa

Epävarmaa is the partitive singular form of the Finnish adjective epävarma, which means uncertain or unsure. In Finnish, adjectives agree with the noun they describe in number and case, and the partitive form is used with nouns in partitive or in indefinite, non-count contexts. Epävarma as a base adjective circulates in various forms, for example epävarma (nominative), epävarmaa (partitive), and epävarmoja (nominative plural).

Usage in language centers on hedging and indicating lack of definite information. It is common in journalism, research, and formal discourse to describe information, forecasts, or situations as unclear or not fully certain. The form epävarmaa typically accompanies a noun in partitive, or appears in predicative constructions after the verb olla (to be), especially when the statement concerns an indefinite or non-specified element. Examples include: "Tietoa tästä asiasta on epävarmaa" (There is uncertain information about this matter) and "On epävarmaa, miten tilanne etenee" (It is uncertain how the situation will develop).

Etymology and related terms: epävarma is formed from the negating prefix epä- attached to varma (sure, certain). Related lemmas include epävarmuus (uncertainty), epävarma (unclear/uncertain as a base adjective), and adverbial epävarmasti (uncertainly). The word is a standard part of Finnish descriptive and analytic vocabulary, used to convey caution, doubt, or incomplete evidence.

See also: epävarmuus, epävarma, epävarmasti.