jäykkänä

Jäykkänä is a Finnish word form derived from the adjective jäykkä, meaning stiff or rigid. It functions as a predicative form that describes a state or condition, typically used with the verb olla (to be). In everyday language it conveys that something – a body part, a person’s posture, or a material object – is stiff at a given moment.

The primary use is physical stiffness. Common contexts include muscles or joints that feel stiff after waking up, in cold weather, or after strain. It can also describe a rigid or inflexible posture, such as a stiff back or neck. In medical or physiotherapy contexts, jäykkänä may appear in descriptions of muscle tightness or range-of-motion limitations.

Jäykkänä can also be used figuratively to indicate inflexibility in behavior, thoughts, or rules. In such uses, it signals a lack of ease or adaptability rather than a physical condition. For example, a person who adheres strictly to routines or who resists change might be described as jäykkänä in their approach.

Grammar-wise, jäykkänä is the form that expresses a state of being tied to the adjective jäykkä. It commonly appears in clauses with olla or in predicative expressions where a state is asserted rather than an action. It is distinct from the adverbial form jäykästi, which describes manner of action rather than a state of being.

See also: Finnish grammar, jäykkä (stiff, rigid), predicative adjectives, muscle stiffness.