Lyhytaikainen

Lyhytaikainen is a Finnish adjective meaning "short-term" or "temporary," used to describe something that lasts for a brief period relative to a typical or expected duration. It is formed from lyhyt "short" and aikainen "time-related" and is declined to agree with the noun it modifies.

The term appears in many domains, including labor, contracts, finance, housing, and planning. Common collocations include lyhytaikainen työ (short-term job), lyhytaikainen sopimus (short-term contract), lyhytaikainen ratkaisu (short-term solution), and lyhytaikainen laina (short-term loan). It can also describe periods or needs, such as lyhytaikainen jakso (brief period) or lyhytaikainen tarve (temporary need). The adjective agrees with the noun in number and case, and it has comparative and superlative forms, for example lyhytaikaisempi (more short-term) and lyhytaikaisin (the most short-term) in suitable contexts.

Etymology traces the word to Finnish lyhyt "short" and aikainen "time-related," both rooted in aika "time." In usage, lyhytaikainen is often contrasted with pitkäaikainen "long-term" and with tilapäinen or väliaikainen (both meaning temporary, but with slightly different nuance). The term helps convey duration-related distinctions in administrative, legal, and everyday language.