Yksikertaisia

Yksikertaisia is a Finnish adjective form used to describe items or events that occur only once or are one-off. The sense emphasizes that the instances are not repeated rather than merely being isolated. It is most commonly found in plural partitive phrases, such as yksikertaisia tapauksia or yksikertaisia havaintoja, where it modifies a plural noun in the partitive case. The corresponding nominative plural form is yksikertaiset.

Etymology and grammar: Yksikertaisia derives from the concept of a single occurrence, built from the idea of one time (yksi kerta) and an adjectival ending. In Finnish, adjectives agree with the noun they describe in number and case, so yksikertaisia appears when the noun is plural and in a partitive or similar case. The form's opposite in common use is often yksittäisiä, which also means individual or isolated, but with a slightly different nuance.

Usage and nuance: The term is typical in analytical writing, journalism, and descriptive prose to mark that certain instances are not recurring. It signals rarity or non-repeatability rather than mere singularity. For example, raportissa on mainittu muutamia yksikertaisia esimerkkejä, meaning the report cites a few single, non-repeating examples. In statistical or qualitative contexts, yksikertaisia poikkeamia may refer to anomalies that occur only once.

Related terms: Yksikertaisia contrasts with yksittäisiä (isolated or individual) and kertakäyttöisiä (single-use). The choice among these forms depends on the intended emphasis on one-off nature, isolation, or use.