käypää

Käypä is a Finnish adjective used to describe something as suitable, appropriate, or workable for a given purpose. It functions as an evaluative descriptor and appears in both everyday speech and formal contexts to express that something meets the needed criteria or is acceptable.

Common usages include phrases such as käypä ratkaisu (a workable/adequate solution), käypä hinta (a fair price), and käypä aika (an appropriate time). In business and public discourse, käypä arvo is used to refer to fair value or market value in a specific context. As with other Finnish adjectives, käypä agrees with the noun in number and case, and it forms part of compound expressions that specify practical suitability.

Etymology and register: Käypä is a standard Finnish word with broad usage across registers, from spoken language to written journalism and official communication. Its core meaning centers on adequacy and fitness for purpose, making it a flexible term for evaluating plans, proposals, outcomes, and prices. Depending on tone and formality, it can carry a neutral, practical nuance or a more favorable assessment.

Synonyms and nuance: Several Finnish synonyms convey related ideas, including sopiva (appropriate), kelvollinen (valid, acceptable), and käyttökelpoinen (usable). Käypä is particularly common when judgments hinge on usefulness or practicality rather than mere preference, and it often appears in decision-making or evaluative writing.