kymmeniä

Kymmeniä is a Finnish numeral used as a quantifier meaning tens of, i.e., a relatively large but imprecise number. It is employed to indicate a non-specific quantity rather than a precise figure, and it typically accompanies a noun in the partitive plural, for example kymmeniä ihmisiä or kymmeniä tunteja. The form is the partitive plural of the numeral kymmenen (ten) and functions like an adjective agreeing with the noun it modifies.

In grammar, kymmeniä requires the noun to be in the partitive plural (ihmisiä, tunteja, vuosia, etc.). It is used when the exact count is unknown, unnecessary to state, or being generalized, rather than when an exact number is provided. The construction is common in both written and spoken Finnish, and it can express scale in contexts such as time, people, or events. It is often found in journalism, storytelling, and descriptive prose to convey magnitude without precise measurement.

Examples include: Tilaisuus keräsi kymmeniä ihmisiä. Me odotimme kymmeniä tunteja. Se kesti kymmeniä vuosia. In these uses, kymmeniä conveys a sense of quantity that is large but not specified, with the accompanying noun in the partitive plural.

Etymologically, kymmeniä derives from kymmenen (ten) and represents the plural partitive form commonly used with numerals in Finnish. Related forms include kymmeniä (plural partitive) and kymmentä (singular partitive), which is used with single-count nouns.