epätarkkana

epätarkkana is a Finnish adverbial form derived from the adjective epätarkka, which means “unclear,” “vague,” or “indirect.” The term is used to describe a manner of speaking, writing, or reasoning that is not precise or that avoids direct statements. In everyday usage, a speaker might say that a point is explained "epätarkkana" to indicate that the argument is given in a loose or ambiguous way. The form can also function as a noun in some contexts, referring to a piece of reasoning that is characterized by vagueness or resolution that remains incomplete.

Grammatically, epätarkkana falls into the class of Finnish adverbial adjectives (adverbial forms of adjectives). It precedes the verb it modifies and does not inflect for case. For example: "Hän selitti ongelmaa epätarkkana" translates to “He explained the problem vaguely.” The suffix "-na" is a common Finnish adverbial marker that turns adjectives into adverbial adjectives.

The word appears in literary texts and in linguistic studies of Finnish discourse. It is often used in contrast to "tarkka," which denotes precision and directness. While epätarkkana is not always negative—it can be employed intentionally for artistic or rhetorical effect—it typically signals a lack of clarity, exactness, or straightforwardness. In sociolinguistics, speakers may deliberately use epätarkkana to avoid confrontation or to respect social norms that value indirect communication.

The term is part of a broader set of Finnish adverbial adjectives such as nopeasti (quickly) and hitaasti (slowly). Its usage illustrates how Finnish language encodes shades of meaning through suffix adaptation.