kirpeää

Kirpeää is the partitive singular form of the Finnish adjective kirpeä, meaning sharp, pungent, tart, or sour. The word is used to describe sensory impressions such as taste or smell, and it can also be extended figuratively to refer to direct, biting language or humor. In culinary contexts kirpeä conveys brisk acidity or tanginess, typical of citrus fruits, certain berries, or beverages.

Morphology and usage: kirpeä is a native Finnish adjective. The positive form is kirpeä; the partitive singular form is kirpeää (as in kirpeää makua or kirpeää hajua); the genitive is kirpeän; the plural forms are kirpeitä, with the partitive plural kirpeitä. It commonly modifies nouns that describe an uncountable quality (partitive), but can also appear with countable nouns in the nominative: kirpeä maku, kirpeä haju. In figurative use, phrases such as kirpea kommentti and kirpeä huumori describe tone or style.

Examples: Limonadi maistuu kirpealta. Sitrushedelmän kuori antaa kirpeää makua. Hän vastasi kirpeästi. See also: hapokas, terävä.