jyrkäksi

Jyrkäksi is the translative form of the Finnish adjective jyrkkä, meaning steep or abrupt. It is used to express a change of state, indicating that something has become steep, sharp, or sudden.

In grammar, jyrkäksi functions as a predicative complement after verbs of becoming, such as tulla or muuttua. The typical construction is subject + tulla/muuttua + jyrkäksi, for example: Tie tulee jyrkäksi kurvin jälkeen, Maa muuttui jyrkäksi jyrkänteen reunalla, Tilanne muuttui jyrkäksi hinnankorotusten myötä. This form emphasizes a shift into a new, more extreme characteristic.

Usage and nuance: jyrkäksi is commonly applied to physical slopes and landscapes to describe a slope that becomes steeper. It is also used metaphorically to describe abrupt changes in non-physical contexts, such as prices, opinions, or risk, where something has become significantly more severe or drastic. The adverbial counterpart jyrkästi describes the manner of action (e.g., liiketoiminta kehittyi jyrkästi), whereas jyrkäksi marks the resulting state.

Etymology: the word is formed from the adjective jyrkkä plus the translative suffix -ksi, which denotes a transition into a state or condition.

See also: jyrkkä (steep, abrupt) and related expressions for descriptive and figurative language in Finnish.