hyvänä

Hyvänä is the translative singular form of the Finnish adjective hyvää meaning "good." In Finnish grammar, the translative case is used to express a change of state, a role or function, or being seen as something in a given situation. Therefore hyvänä appears in constructions where a person, object, or concept is described as being in the role of something good or functioning as a good example, a good standard, or a positive attribute in context.

Usage and common phrases

Hyvänä is often paired with nouns in -esimerkki, -ystävä, -puolena, or -vaihtoehto to convey specific meanings. For example, hyvänä esimerkkinä means “as a good example” or “a good example,” and hyvänä ystävänä means “as a good friend.” Hyvänä puolena refers to a positive aspect or advantage (e.g., “Projektin hyvänä puolena on sen laaja tuki”). Hyvänä vaihtoehtona is used to denote a favorable alternative (e.g., “Hyvänä vaihtoehtona tässä voisi olla…”). The form also appears in time-related or situational expressions such as hyvänä päivänä, meaning “on a good day,” though its exact usage can vary with context.

Grammatical notes

Hyvänä is formed from hyv ä with the translative suffix -na/-nä. The translative is used to mark a state or role that is not permanent, or to describe how something is perceived or presented in a specific situation. Because Finnish is highly agglutinative, the exact ending may change with different nouns and phrases, but hyvänä retains the same core function as a translative complement of good.

Etymology

The word derives from the Finnish adjective hyv ä (good) and reflects the standard translative form for adjectives in Finnish.

See also

Finnish grammar, translative case, adjectives in Finnish, idiomatic expressions with hyvänä.