lukematta

Lukematta is a Finnish term meaning “unread” or “not yet read.” It functions as an adjective or adverb derived from the verb lukea, and is commonly used to describe items that have not been read, such as letters, emails, or documents. The form can modify nouns (lukemattomat viestit) or appear predicatively (viesti on lukematta).

Etymology and form: Lukematta is formed from the verb lukea with the participial suffix -tta, producing a state-related expression that indicates the absence of the reading action. In everyday language it is widely used in both spoken and written Finnish, especially in contexts involving information that has not yet been opened or reviewed.

Usage: The word is especially common in digital and administrative contexts, where lists or inboxes mark items as lukematta to signal that they still require reading. It can also appear in phrases such as lukematta jätetty kirje (a letter left unread) or lukematon viesti (an unread message). In predicative use, a noun phrase can be described as “lukematta.”

Related terms: Lukeminen (the act of reading) and lukija (reader) are semantically connected. The plural lukemattomat is used for “unread ones,” and lukematon can, in some contexts, mean “unreadable” depending on the sentence.

Overall, lukematta is a common, neutral descriptor in Finnish for items that have not yet been read, reflecting a routine state in both everyday conversation and digital communication.