Hetkellisessä

Hetkellisessä is the inessive singular form of the Finnish adjective hetkellinen, meaning temporary or momentary. It is used to describe things that exist only for a short time or are dependent on a particular moment. The term can refer to events, conditions, arrangements, or solutions that are not intended to be permanent.

Etymology and meaning: hetkellinen derives from the noun hetki, meaning moment or instant, with the adjectival suffix -ellinen. The word conveys a sense of temporariness or episodic occurrence, rather than a long-lasting or permanent state.

Usage and nuance: In both everyday language and formal writing, hetkellinen emphasizes that a situation or decision is provisional and may change with time. It is often contrasted with sanakontekstissa tilapäinen (temporary) to highlight dependence on a specific moment or limited duration. The form hetkellisessä is typically used with nouns in the inessive case, for example in phrases like hetkellisessä tilassa (in a temporary state) or hetkellisen ratkaisun (of a temporary solution).

Examples: Tämä ratkaisu on hetkellinen ratkaisu, ei pysyvä. (This solution is a temporary solution, not permanent.) Tilanne on hetkellisessä muutoksessa. (The situation is in a momentary/temporary change.)

See also: tilapäinen, väliaikainen, ajoittainen. In Finnish dictionaries, hetkellinen is defined as temporary or momentary, and hetkellisessä is the standard inessive form used when describing something occurring within a temporary context.