Järkevänä

Järkevänä is the essive singular form of the Finnish adjective järkevä, meaning sensible or rational. In Finnish grammar, the essive case (ending -na/-nä) marks a temporary state, role, or manner, so järkevänä can translate roughly as “as a sensible one” or “in a sensible way,” depending on the construction. The form is used with nouns or in predicative phrases to describe someone or something in a state judged as sensible or prudent; common collocations include järkevänä vaihtoehtona (as a sensible alternative) or järkevänä valintana (as a prudent choice). It is not the standard adverbial form; for the adverbial meaning “sensibly,” the word järkevästi is used.

In usage, järkevänä often appears in evaluative or analytical contexts, such as discussions of decisions, policies, or proposed actions, where something is described as reasonable or well-considered. The sense conveyed by järkevänä can carry nuance beyond mere correctness, implying practical prudence or long‑term suitability. It contrasts with more cautious or risk-averse terms and can be contrasted with idioms expressing imprudence or impulsiveness.

Examples of its use include phrases like se tarjosi järkevänä vaihtoehtona, meaning “it offered as a sensible alternative,” or hän esiintyi järkevänä kriisitilanteessa, meaning “he appeared as a sensible person in the crisis.” The form is more common in written Finnish, journalism, and formal analysis than in everyday speech.

See also: järkevä, järkevyys, essive.