Lyhyttäkään

Lyhyttäkään is a Finnish word that translates to "even a little" or "even briefly" in English. It is a compound word formed from "lyhyt" meaning "short" and the suffix "-kään" which adds emphasis and implies negation or concession, similar to "even" or "at all." The word is commonly used to express that something is not happening to even the slightest degree, or to emphasize a lack of duration or quantity.

For example, one might say "En nähnyt häntä lyhyttäkään" which means "I didn't see him even briefly" or "I didn't see him at all." Another usage could be "Hän ei lepää lyhyttäkään" meaning "He doesn't rest even a little." The word conveys a sense of completeness in its absence, highlighting that not even a minimal amount of something is present or occurring. Its grammatical function is typically adverbial, modifying verbs or adjectives to add the nuance of "even a little" or "not at all."