Rikastunut

Rikastunut is a Finnish adjective form derived from the verb rikastua, meaning to become rich. It denotes someone who has acquired wealth or improved financially, often as a result of business success, investments, inheritance, or other gains. As a past participle used as an adjective, rikastunut can modify nouns (attributive use) or be used predicatively with the verb olla (to be), as in Hän on rikastunut ("He has become rich").

Grammar and usage notes: Rikastunut inflects like other Finnish adjectives, agreeing in number and case with the noun it modifies. Examples include rikastunut mies (a rich man) and rikastuneet henkilöt (the rich people). The corresponding noun for the process is rikastuminen ("the becoming rich"). In some contexts, wealth itself can be expressed with words like rikkaus (wealth, prosperity) or varallisuus, but rikastunut specifically emphasizes a change in status.

Context and nuance: The term is most common in descriptive or biographical writing and in journalism when noting changes in someone’s wealth. It generally conveys a shift in financial status rather than a current level of wealth, and its connotation can range from neutral to matter-of-fact, depending on surrounding language.

Related terms: rikastua (to become rich), rikastuminen (the process of becoming rich). The concept sits within broader discussions of social mobility, entrepreneurship, and economic change in Finnish discourse.

Examples:

- Hän on hiljattain rikastunut investoinneistaan. (He has recently become rich from his investments.)

- Rikastunut liikemies osti talon kaupungin keskustasta. (A wealthy businessman bought a house in the city center.)

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