Vanhempi

Vanhempi is a Finnish adjective meaning older or elder, used to describe relative age between two or more entities. It is the comparative form of vanha, and it commonly refers to people—for example, an older sibling or an elder relative—but can also describe generations or objects in a broader sense. The opposite term is nuorempi, meaning younger. When placed before a noun, vanhempi agrees in number and case, as in vanhempi veli (older brother) or vanhempi nainen (older woman). In phrases like minulla on vanhempi sisar, the speaker indicates having an older sibling.

In plural usage, vanhemmat primarily means parents. The word also appears in compounds and set phrases that emphasize age or seniority, such as vanhempainvapaa, which denotes parental leave, and phrases referring to the older generation or senior members of a group. The genitive form of vanhempi is vanhemman, used when the older one is the possessor, for example vanhemman hallinto (the elder’s administration).

Etymologically, vanhempi derives from vanha, the basic Finnish word for old, with the comparative suffix -mpi. It is a stable part of everyday Finnish and is widely used in family terms, education, and discussions of age, status, or seniority. Related terms include nuorempi (younger) and vanhemmat (parents).