Päättymätön

Päättymätön is an adjective in Finnish meaning endless or without end. It is formed from the verb root tied to ending, with the suffix -mätön indicating negation or absence, producing a sense of something that does not end. The term is closely related to other Finnish expressions such as loppumaton and ääretön, which also denote endlessness.

The word is used to describe processes, periods, or phenomena that seem to have no foreseeable conclusion. It can convey either literal infinity or a figurative sense of interminable duration. In everyday language it may appear in poetic, philosophical, or descriptive contexts to emphasize persistence, continuity, or boundlessness. It can combine with nouns to form phrases like päättymätön tarina (an endless story), päättymätön kiertokulku (an unending cycle), or päättymätön odotus (an interminable waiting).

In literature and philosophy, päättymätön is often employed to evoke vastness, eternity, or the limits of human comprehension. The term can carry a nuanced tone, ranging from awe at the infinite to a sense of futility or endurance, depending on context. It is typically used as a descriptive attribute rather than a technical term, and its meaning is reinforced by related words such as loppumaton and ääretön.

See also: loppumaton, ääretön, loputtomasti.