huolestuttavan

Huolestuttavan is a form of the Finnish adjective huolestuttava, meaning worrying, alarming, or concerning. The word is formed from the verb huolestuttaa (to cause worry) with the participial suffix -va, and it is used to describe something that causes concern or anxiety. In Finnish, adjectives decline to agree with the noun they modify, so huolestuttava appears in different cases and numbers. Huolestuttavan is the genitive singular form, used when the noun it modifies is in the genitive or when the construction requires a genitive modifier, for example in phrases like huolestuttavan vaikutuksen or huolestuttavan uutisen.

The term is common in formal and semi-formal registers, including journalism, politics, health, and academic writing. It conveys a sense of seriousness and urgency without implying a direct value judgment; the tone depends on the surrounding wording. Because the adjective denotes a characteristic that provokes concern, it is often paired with nouns describing trends, events, or findings, such as kehitys (development), uutinen (news), tutkimus (study), or tilanne (situation).

Usage tips: choose the appropriate case form to match the noun, and be mindful of nuance. While huolestuttava can describe a wide range of worrying phenomena, stronger or weaker synonyms may be preferred depending on context. For example, haastavan or akuutti may convey different degrees of immediacy than huolestuttava.

See also: huolestuttaa (to worry), huolestuttava (worrying/alarming), Finnish participles and adjective declensions.