Lyhyinä

Lyhyinä is the plural essive form of the Finnish adjective lyhyt, meaning short. In Finnish grammar, the essive case marks a temporary state or role, roughly translated as “as …” or “in the form of ….” The plural essive form lyhyinä thus means “as short ones” or “in short form (plural).”

Morphology and usage

The base adjective is lyhyt. In the essive singular, it becomes lyhyenä (as a short one). In the essive plural, it becomes lyhyinä (as short ones). The form is used to describe a temporary condition or identity of several things or people, typically in more formal, literary, or idiomatic contexts. It is common to encounter lyhyinä in fixed expressions or descriptive phrases, rather than in everyday speech.

Common contexts

Lyhyinä is often found in phrases that refer to time, duration, or stated conditions. For example, in a sentence about periods of time: lyhyinä aikoina, meaning “during short periods.” The construction can emphasize a temporary or nominal state of a group of subjects being described as short in some respect.

Limitations and notes

Lyhyinä tends to appear in written Finnish, poetry, or stylistically marked prose. In ordinary conversation, speakers are more likely to use other forms or structures to convey the same idea. The essive plural is one of several Finnish adjective forms that convey state rather than inherent qualities.

See also

Finnish grammar, essive case, adjectives in Finnish, morphophonology of Finnish adjectives.