Ohikiitävään

Ohikiitävään is the illative singular form of the Finnish adjective ohikiitävä, which describes something that moves or arrives slowly, with a sense of delay or gradual progression. The word is typical of literary or formal Finnish and is often used to convey a creeping or hesitating tempo, rather than a momentary slowness.

Grammatical note: ohikiitävään is used when the adjective modifies a noun in illative case (into/onto something) or is part of a fixed phrase featuring such a noun. A common example is ohikiitävään tahtiin, meaning at a slow pace. For instance, Hankkeen edistyminen eteni ohikiitävään tahtiin describes progress that advanced only slowly.

Usage and nuance: The term conveys more than a simple descriptor of slowness. It implies a gradual, persistent pace that can feel tedious or frustrating, but it can also be used descriptively in a neutral or even evocative, literary manner. It tends to carry a softer, more restrained nuance than harsher words like laahaava or viivästynyt.

Common contexts and phrases:ohikiitävä tahti (a slow tempo), ohikiitävä kehitys (gradual development), ohikiitävä keskustelu (a slow-moving discussion). The phrase appears in journalism, literary prose, and formal analyses where the author wishes to emphasize the sluggishness or patience of a process.

See also: ohikiitävä (the base adjective), ohikiitävästi (adverbial form describing the manner of movement). The concept is often translated as “slow-moving” or “creeping,” though the Finnish term carries its own stylistic and nuanced connotations within context.