hengenvaarallisessa

Hengenvaarallinen is a Finnish adjective meaning life-threatening. The inflected form hengenvaarallisessa is the inessive singular, used to describe being in a life-threatening situation or context, as in hengenvaarallisessa tilanteessa (“in a life-threatening situation”). The term is common in medical, safety, rescue, and news-language contexts.

Etymology and form: Hengenvaarallinen is a compound built from henki (life or breath) and vaara (danger). The inessive form hengenvaarallisessa is created by adding the -ssa ending to the adjective, producing a phrase that describes location or state within a life-threatening setting. The corresponding plural form is hengenvaaralliset for life-threatening cases or conditions.

Usage notes: The expression emphasizes immediate risk to life and is typically found in safety guidelines, emergency communications, medical reports, and journalism. It is distinct from milder terms such as vaarallinen (dangerous) in that it conveys a higher level of severity.

Examples: Potilas oli hengenvaarallisessa tilassa. (The patient was in a life-threatening condition.) Tilanteessa, jossa on hengenvaarallisia riskejä, on tehtävä nopeita toimenpiteitä. (In a situation with life-threatening risks, rapid actions are required.) Hätätilanteissa voidaan käyttää ilmaisua hengenvaarallinen tila todennäköisten seurausten kuvaamiseen.

See also: Finnish safety terminology; danger and risk in medical Finnish.