Huokaus

Huokaus is a Finnish noun meaning a sigh: the sound or act of a long, audible exhale, typically expressing fatigue, disappointment, relief, or longing. The word is derived from the verb huokaista, to sigh, and it is commonly used in both spoken and written Finnish. A huokaus can be brief or prolonged and is often interpreted as a signal of emotional release or resignation.

In everyday language, huokaus can accompany tiredness or mental strain, and in literature it helps convey mood or atmosphere. A sigh may be deliberate, to steady oneself, or involuntary, arising from emotion. Phrases such as syvä huokaus are used to emphasize mood or emphasis in prose and poetry.

Linguistically, huokaus is a nominalization of huokaista. It functions as a concrete noun referring to the sound or act and can take typical noun cases in Finnish grammar, for example the genitive huokauksen.

In translation, huokaus is commonly rendered as "sigh" in English, with nuances of exhaustion, relief, or exasperation depending on context.

Example: Hän päästi syvän huokauksen.