Hetkellisenä

Hetkellisenä is a grammatical form of the Finnish adjective hetkellinen, meaning momentary or temporary. The base term hetkellinen describes something that lasts only for a short time or is not permanent. The word is formed from hetki (moment) and the suffix -ellinen, which creates adjectives indicating a characteristic or relation to the root noun. In standard Finnish, hetkellinen and its inflected forms are used to describe conditions, states, or solutions that are not long-lasting.

Usage and nuance

Hetkellinen emphasizes brevity and transience, often in contrast to longer-term or permanent conditions. It is commonly found in formal or written Finnish when distinguishing temporary arrangements from lasting ones. It can describe events, arrangements, or solutions that are intended to be short-term, not necessarily ideal but sufficient for the moment. For example, a temporary solution may be described as hetkellinen ratkaisu, and a fleeting state might be referred to as hetkellinen tila.

Form and grammar

In Finnish, adjectives decline to agree with the noun they modify. Hetkellinen can take various forms, including hetkellistä (partitive) and hetkellisiä (plural), as well as the translative form hetkellisenä, which is used to express “as a momentary [state/role].” The translative form is part of how Finnish expresses becoming or serving in a role or state.

Relation to synonyms

Common synonyms include tilapäinen and väliaikainen, both marking temporary duration but with slightly different emphasis. Hetkellinen foregrounds the momentary quality rather than external circumstances.

See also

Finnish grammar, adjectives, translative case, temporary and transient terminology.