Kymmentä

Kymmentä is a Finnish numeral form used to express quantities approximately equal to ten. It is the partitive singular form of the cardinal number kymmenen and is typically used before nouns in the partitive case to indicate an indefinite or approximate quantity, or when the noun is in a partitive construction.

When the noun is plural, the corresponding form kymmeniä is used to mean dozens of or tens of. For example, kymmeniä vuosia or kymmeniä kilometrejä convey a non-exact, larger quantity. In contrast, the exact count of ten is usually expressed with the form kymmenen in contexts where ten is precise.

Etymology and grammar: kymmentä derives from the stem of kymmenen (ten) and adds the partitive suffix -tä. Finnish numerals decline like adjectives, and kymmentä behaves accordingly in phrases with different cases and numbers. The plural partitive form kymmeniä is used before plural nouns and in expressions that quantify a larger, unspecified amount.

Usage and nuance: kymmentä commonly appears in spoken and written Finnish to indicate rough quantities or durations, without specifying an exact number. It is frequent in journalistic language and everyday speech, where precision is either unnecessary or impractical. Typical expressions include Olin kymmeniä vuosia täällä (I have been here for many years) and Hän sai kymmeniä euroja (He received dozens of euros).

See also: Finnish numerals, partitive case, declension of numbers.