Syvällinen

Syvällinen is a Finnish adjective used to describe depth, profundity, or significance in non-physical contexts. It denotes something that shows substantial insight, thoroughness, or emotional or intellectual depth. The term can describe ideas, analyses, discussions, feelings, or works of art and literature that invite deeper reflection rather than offering surface-level observations. In everyday use, syvällinen often conveys respect for the complexity of a subject, such as a syvällinen analyysi (profound analysis) or a syvällinen ymmärrys (deep understanding).

Etymology and related terms: Syvällinen is formed from the stem syvä, meaning deep, plus the suffix -llinen, which yields an adjective sense of “having depth.” It is closely related to synonomous concepts like syvä (deep), syvyys (depth), and per- root words such as perusteellinen, which emphasizes thoroughness. The word is versatile and commonly paired with abstract nouns that denote thought, feeling, or interpretation.

Usage and nuances: Syvällinen is typically reserved for non-literal depth, such as cognitive, emotional, or existential depth. It is used for people who think or feel deeply, for analyses that go beyond the obvious, and for works that reveal hidden meanings. It is not usually applied to physical depth; for physical descriptions, terms like pitkä or syvä might be preferred.

Examples (Finnish phrases): syvällinen keskustelu (in-depth conversation), syvällinen ajatus (profound idea), syvällinen kokemus (deep experience). See also: syvyys (depth), syvä (deep), perusteellinen (thorough).