Kömpelöitä

Kömpelöitä is a Finnish term that functions primarily as an adjective form used as a noun to refer to people or things that are clumsy or awkward. It is the plural partitive form of kömpelö when used in predicative or nominal contexts. The base adjective kömpelö means clumsy, awkward, or cumbersome, and kömpelöitä is typically used in informal or humorous speech and can carry a light negative or self-deprecating nuance depending on tone.

Usage and meaning: Kömpelöitä can describe both people and things behaving in a clumsy way. It is commonly attached to a noun in phrases such as kömpelöitä virheitä (clumsy mistakes) or kömpelöitä esineitä (awkward objects). In everyday conversation, someone might refer to themselves or others as kömpelöitä, signaling a sense of awkwardness without a strong insult.

Origin and grammar: The form is built from the adjective kömpelö and uses the -itä ending to form a plural partitive that can function as a noun phrase. It is versatile and can appear as object or subject in sentences, but is most natural in attributive phrases describing a set of items or actions rather than as a standalone noun.

See also: kömpelyys, kömpelö, epäonnistuminen.