Kuluttava

Kuluttava is a Finnish adjective derived from the verb kuluttaa, meaning to consume or exhaust. It is used to describe things that require or drain a large amount of resources, such as time, money, energy, or materials. In technical or formal contexts it often characterizes processes, projects, or systems as resource-intensive, for example kuluttava projekti (a resource-intensive project) or kuluttava työ (labor-intensive work). In everyday language it can also describe something tedious or draining, such as kuluttava matka (a draining journey) or kuluttava päivä (a exhausting day).

Grammatical notes: Kuluttava is the present active participle form of kuluttaa, formed with the participial suffix -va. As an adjective it usually precedes the noun, for example kuluttava prosessi, but it can also be used predicatively in clauses, e.g., Tämä prosessi on kuluttava toimiessaan paljon resursseja. The term is common in descriptive and evaluative writing about efficiency, economics, engineering, and everyday planning.

Usage and nuance: Kuluttava emphasizes the cost or burden associated with an activity, rather than qualitative judgments about its value. It is often contrasted with terms like energiatehokas or säästävä, which highlight efficiency or sparing use of resources. In Finnish, phrases such as kuluttava energiankulutus or kuluttava aikataulu are typical ways to express that something consumes substantial energy or time.

See also: kulutus (consumption), kuluttaminen (the act of consuming), energiankulutus (energy consumption), resurssienkäyttö (resource use).