Pahoja

Pahoja is a Finnish word that functions as the plural partitive form of the adjective paha, meaning bad or evil. It is typically used to refer to bad things, bad deeds, or negative phenomena when the noun it modifies is in partitive or an indefinite plural context. The form contrasts with the nominative plural pahat, which means “the bad ones” and is used when the noun being described is definite or clearly identified.

In practice, pahoja is most often attached to a following noun in partitive case, for example pahoja asioita (bad things), pahoja tekoja (bad deeds), or pahoja tapoja (bad habits). The distinction between pahat and pahoja is a matter of grammatical mood and specificity rather than a change in meaning: pahat refers to the bad ones in a definite sense, while pahoja signals an indefinite or non-countable set of bad things or actions.

Usage notes:

- Pahoja is used with nouns in partitive case, which is common for indefinite quantities or when describing negative phenomena without a fixed count.

- The base adjective paha can describe moral or practical deficiencies; pahoja extends this to a plural, non-specific set.

- Finnish adjectives decline to match number and case, so pahoja will appear in plural partitive form in phrases like pahoja asioita, pahoja vaikutuksia, or pahoja tapoja.

See also: paha, Finnish grammar, partitive case, list of common Finnish adjectives.