Kirpeitä

Kirpeitä is the plural partitive form of the Finnish adjective kirpeä. The word describes a sharp, tart-tasting or tangy sensation, often with noticeable acidity. It is commonly used to characterize flavors and aromas, but can also be applied to non-taste sensations or figurative language.

In culinary contexts, kirpeitä describes foods and drinks with a bright, biting tartness. Typical examples include kirpeitä omenoita (tart apples), kirpeitä karpaloita (tanks of cranberries), or kirpeän maun auttamat juomat like certain ciders or lemonades. The term emphasizes freshness and vitality in contrast to milder or sweeter flavors, and it is sometimes used together with hapanta or hapokas to distinguish different degrees or kinds of sourness.

Figuratively, kirpeitä can refer to language or humor that is sharp, biting, or incisive. Kirpeitä kommentteja or kirpeä ironia convey a sense of dry, pointed wit rather than sweetness. In such uses, the word conveys a stylistic bite more than a culinary quality.

Grammatically, kirpeitä is used when describing plural nouns in the partitive case, or in constructions where the object is indefinite or non-specific. Examples include kirpeitä makuja, kirpeitä viinejä, or kirpeitä muistoja. The base form kirpeä is the positive adjective, with related forms such as kirpeä, kirpeää, kirpeät, and kirpeiden depending on case and number.

See also: kirpeä, hapan, hapokas, terävä, kirpakkuus.