hapokkaan

Hapokkaan is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective hapokas, meaning acidic, tart, or tangy. It is used when the adjective modifies a noun that is in the genitive case, or when describing a noun in a genitive construction. For example, hapokkaan maun translates as “the taste of something acidic” or “the acidic flavor,” depending on the context.

Etymology and meaning: hapokas derives from the noun happo, meaning acid. The suffix -kas marks the property, yielding “having the quality of acid.” The form hapokkaan appears as part of the standard Finnish system of adjective inflection, which changes to agree with the noun’s case and number in a sentence.

Grammatical usage: as an attributive adjective, hapokas inflects to agree with the noun it modifies. In the common expression hapokkaan maku, it describes a flavor that is sharp or sour. In predicative position, the base form hapokas is used (“Ruoka on hapokas” – “The food is acidic”). The genitive singular hapokkaan is rarely used independently; it functions to link the adjective to a genitive noun, as in hapokkaan maun voimistanut resepti (“the recipe that intensified the acidic taste”). Practically, hapokkaan is most often encountered in descriptive writing about food, beverages, or chemistry, where precise nuance of acidity matters.

See also: Finnish grammar, adjectives, happo (acid).