Pyyhkäisyä

Pyyhkäisyä is a Finnish noun form used as the partitive singular of pyyhkäisy. The base term pyyhkäisy refers to a brief, light movement intended to wipe, brush away, or sweep something, but it can also describe a deliberate stroke in art or makeup. The concept covers both physical actions, such as cleaning with a cloth, and more figurative or descriptive uses in language and culture.

The word derives from the verb pyyhkiä, meaning to wipe, brush off, or sweep aside. In everyday Finnish, pyyhkäisy can denote a concrete act of cleaning as well as a subtle or rapid motion used in painting, drawing, or applying makeup. It is commonly employed across registers—from housekeeping to artistic contexts—where a single, quick movement is central to the meaning.

In practice, pyyhkäisyä appears in sentences where the act of wiping or brushing is the focus. It is also used in metaphorical or descriptive phrases to convey a swift, decisive action or impression. In cosmetics and visual arts, the term is frequent in the form of compound expressions such as a “luomivärin pyyhkäisy” (eyeshadow brush stroke) or a similar one describing a single swipe of color or light across a surface.

Grammar note: pyyhkäisyä is the partitive form, used when the act is the object of a sentence. Other common forms include pyyhkäisy (nominative) and pyyhkäisyn (genitive). The term is standard Finnish and widely understood in both everyday speech and specialized discourse.