herkkä

Herkkä is a native Finnish adjective meaning sensitive, delicate, or easily affected. It covers physical sensitivity, such as skin or stomach, as well as emotional responsiveness. For example, “herkkä iho” means sensitive skin, “herkkä vatsa” a sensitive stomach, and “hän on herkkä ihminen” describes a person who is emotionally sensitive. It can also describe non-human things with the nuance of delicacy or refinement, as in “herkkä maku” for a delicate flavor, or “herkkä käsittely” implying careful handling in certain contexts.

In language use, herkkä frequently appears in everyday speech, literature, and psychology to denote vulnerability to stimuli, emotions, or criticism. The noun form “herkkyys” denotes sensitivity, vulnerability, or susceptibility. The word carries a warmer, human nuance compared with more clinical terms such as “sensitiivinen,” and it is often associated with tenderness or fragility rather than with rigidity or hardness.

Usage notes and nuances: herkkä can describe physical traits (sensitive skin, sensitive stomach), emotional traits (sensitive or empathetic people), and sensory qualities (delicate flavors or textures). The sense chosen usually depends on context, and the term can convey both vulnerability and responsiveness. In translation, possible equivalents include sensitive, delicate, tender, or susceptible, depending on the precise nuance intended.