Nälän

Nälän is the genitive singular form of the Finnish noun nälkä, meaning hunger. In standard Finnish grammar, nälän marks possession or a close relational sense, and it occurs predominantly in compound words and fixed expressions rather than as a standalone noun in everyday speech.

Formation and usage. The genitive singular of nälkä is formed by adding the genitive suffix -n to the stem, yielding nälän. This form is common in contexts referring to hunger as a state or condition and is frequently seen in combinations and phrases that describe causes, circumstances, or effects related to hunger. For example, nälänhätä is a well-attested compound meaning famine or severe hunger. The form also appears in phrases such as nälän vuoksi (because of hunger) or nälän tähden (for the sake of hunger), where the relationship to hunger is expressed indirectly.

Context and notes. In contemporary Finnish, bare nälän is most often encountered as part of compounds or in historical or descriptive texts about famine, food scarcity, or related hardships. It is not typically used as a free-standing noun in casual speech, where the broader idea of hunger is usually conveyed with nälkä or other phrasing. The noun nälä on its own is rarely necessary outside grammatical discussions or precise linguistic descriptions.

See also. Nälänhätä (famine); nälkä (hunger); Finnish grammar and genitive forms.