kepeänä

Kepeänä is a Finnish grammatical form derived from the adjective kepeä, which describes qualities such as light in weight, nimble, or easy to handle. As a word, kepeänä functions as the essive case of kepeä, a construction used to express a temporary state or role, akin to saying “as light/nimble” in English.

Morphology and usage. The essive case in Finnish is formed with the suffix -na or -nä, and for kepeä the resulting form is kepeänä. This form is typically used in predicative constructions to indicate how something or someone is in a given moment or context, rather than to state a permanent attribute. It is common in literary or descriptive prose, where the writer wants to convey a state of lightness or ease.

Meaning and nuance. Kepeänä emphasizes the current condition or manner of being rather than a lasting characteristic. It can convey a sense of lightness, ease, or liveliness in a situation. The use of the essive can add a stylistic nuance, especially in contrasts with other states or with more permanent descriptors.

Relation to other forms. In everyday spoken Finnish, speakers often express similar ideas with keveä (the base adjective meaning light) or with adverbs such as kevyesti to modify manner. Kepeänä, by contrast, marks a temporal or situational state and is more common in written or formal registers.

See also. Finnish grammar, essive case, kepeä.