herkän

Herkän is the genitive singular form of the Finnish adjective herkkä, meaning sensitive, delicate, or tender. It is used before a noun to attribute that quality to the noun. Like other Finnish adjectives, herkän declines for number and case to match the noun it describes.

In noun phrases, herkän appears when the modified noun is in a position that requires a genitive or when the phrase conveys possession or a specific attributive relationship. Examples include herkän maku (a delicate flavor), herkän tunnelman (the delicate mood), and herkän aromin (the delicate aroma). It cannot stand alone as a word; it is an inflected form of herkkä.

Usage notes and related forms: The root adjective herkkä covers a range of nuances from physical sensitivity to refined delicacy. The related noun herkkyys means sensitivity, and the adverbial or broader descriptive uses are common in writing and everyday speech. In plural contexts, different inflections apply (for example, herkkä maut in nominative plural for “delicate tastes,” or the genitive plural form herkkien makujen). The form herkän thus functions as part of a larger declension system for adjectives in Finnish.