jättinä

Jättinä is a Finnish grammatical form meaning “as a giant.” It is created by adding the essive suffix -nä (often written -nä/-na) to the noun jätti, which means “giant.” The essive case expresses a temporary state or role, so jättinä translates to “in the role of a giant” or “as a giant.”

In use, jättinä appears in sentences that describe someone or something acting in a particular capacity or identity. It commonly follows verbs that express being or acting, such as olla (to be) or toimia (to act). Examples include: “Hän esiintyy jättinä elokuvassa” (He appears as a giant in the movie) or “Kuvitellaan, että hän on jättinä” (Imagine that he is a giant).

The form is more frequent in literary, descriptive, or humorous contexts than in everyday casual speech. It is related to other forms derived from jätti, such as jättiläinen (giant) and related adjectives like jättimäinen (gigantic). The concept of giants also appears in Finnish folklore and literature, where giants are commonly referred to as jätti or, in plural, jättiläiset.

See also: Finnish grammar, essive case, jätti, jättiläinen, Kalevala.