Epävarmoiksi

Epävarmoiksi is a Finnish adjective form, serving as the translative plural of epävarma, meaning uncertain or insecure. It is used to describe a change of state indicating that multiple things or situations have become uncertain. The form typically appears in clauses with verbs that express becoming or turning into something, such as tulla or muuttua, and with plural subjects.

Grammatically, epävarmoiksi is the translative plural form of epävarma. The translative case is used to express a change of state or condition: something becomes something. In plural constructions, the complement is formed as epävarmoiksi to indicate that several items have shifted into an uncertain condition. In singular, the corresponding form is epävarmaksi (to become uncertain). Epävarmoiksi is therefore not used to describe a single object but to describe a plural set that has become uncertain.

Usage and nuance: epävarmoiksi is common in written Finnish and in formal narration when discussing forecasts, plans, assessments, or ambiguous outcomes. It signals a shift toward doubt or lack of confidence across multiple elements rather than a single instance. Its noun counterpart is epävarmuus, which denotes uncertainty as a concept rather than the state of being.

Examples:

- Tilanteet muuttuivat epävarmoiksi. (The situations became uncertain.)

- Päätökset muuttuivat epävarmoiksi uusien tietojen valossa. (The decisions became uncertain in light of new information.)

Note that for a single item, the equivalent would be epävarmaksi (for example, "tilanne muuttui epävarmaksi"). Epävarmoiksi is thus specifically a plural, translative form used with verbs of change and plural subjects.