Viipaletta

Viipaletta is a Finnish noun meaning a thin, flat piece cut from something, most commonly a piece of food such as bread, cheese, or cold cuts. It denotes a single slice in everyday language, while the plural forms refer to multiple slices.

Form and inflection: The base noun is viipale. The partitive singular form is viipaletta, used when referring to an unspecified amount or a portion, as in ota viipaletta leipää. The nominative plural is viipaleet, and the partitive plural is viipaleita. In casual speech the term viipale is also used, and regional variations may occur, but the listed forms are standard in written Finnish.

Etymology and usage: Viipale originates from the verb viipaloida “to slice.” The word is common in cooking, food labeling, and recipes, and it can combine with various head nouns to indicate a serving size, for example kolme viipaletta juustoa (three slices of cheese) or viipaletta leipää (a slice of bread). It is often preferred over more general terms like siivu in culinary or retail contexts to specify portion units.

See also: viipaloida; siivu. In Finnish, viipale-based constructions are widely understood in everyday language as well as in grocery and culinary writing.