harvemmat

Harvemmat is a Finnish adjective used to describe a smaller number or lower density compared to another group or situation. It expresses sparsity or infrequency and is formed as the plural, comparative form of harva. In use, harvemmat modifies plural nouns and is employed when contrasting two or more sets of entities or occurrences.

Grammatically, the positive form is harva. The comparative for singular subjects is harvempi, while the plural nominative form is harvemmat. The superlative is harvimmat. The adverbial form harvemmin means “less often.” The adjective agrees with the noun in number and case, so you will encounter forms like harvempia (partitive plural) or harvemmat (nominative plural) depending on context. In practice, harvemmat often precedes a plural noun, as in harvemmat ihmiset.

Usage notes: harvemmat is common in statistical, descriptive, or analytical registers, policy discussions, and journalism when noting a smaller share or lower incidence of something. It contrasts with vähemmän or harvemmin, which serve different grammatical roles (vähemmän for quantity in many contexts, harvemmin as an adverb).

Examples:

Harvemmat ihmiset osallistuvat tilaisuuteen.

Harvemmat tilaisuudet järjestetään tänä vuonna.

Harvemmissa tapauksissa tilanne on hallinnassa.

Etymology and related terms: harvemmat derives from harva, meaning sparse; related forms include harva (base), harvempi (singular comparative), harvimmat (superlative), and harvemmin (adverb meaning “less often”). See also harva and harvemmin.