Voimainen

Voimainen is a Finnish adjective meaning powerful, strong, or potent. It is used to describe people, objects, or phenomena that possess considerable power, effectiveness, or influence, but can also express intensity or force in a more abstract sense.

Etymology and formation: the word is formed from the noun voima, meaning power or strength, plus the common adjectival suffix -inen. This reflects a core Finnish pattern where many adjectives describe a quality inherent to the noun they modify.

Morphology and examples: Finnish adjectives decline to agree with the noun in number and case. For example, nominative singular: voimainen auto (a powerful car); genitive singular: voimaisen auton (of the powerful car); partitive singular: voimaista autoa; nominative plural: voimaiset autot; partitive plural: voimaisia autoja. These forms show how the adjective adapts to different grammatical contexts. In many contexts, voima expresses physical or functional strength, while voimaanana or voluminous intensity can be described with other terms such as voimakas or voimallisesti, depending on nuance.

Usage and nuance: voimainen tends to convey substantial capability or influence, often in reference to machines, storms, athletes, or individuals with substantial presence. In some cases, voima or voimaantuminen conveys internal or potential strength, while voimakas is more common for describing force or intensity (for example, voimakas tuuli = strong wind; voimallinen puhe = forceful speech). The choice between voimainen and related forms is guided by context and style.

Translations and related terms: the closest English equivalent is powerful. Related Finnish words include voima (power/strength), voimakas (strong/intense), and voimaantua (to gain strength).