mahtava

Mahtava is a Finnish adjective meaning great, mighty, or impressive. It is used to describe the quality, size, or impact of something, and can refer to people, events, objects, or experiences. In contemporary Finnish, mahtava functions similarly to the English “great” or “awesome,” though its tone can vary from formal to colloquial depending on context.

Etymology and related forms: Mahtava is derived from the noun mahti, meaning power or might, with the adjectival suffix -va that signals “having the quality of.” The related noun mahtavuus denotes greatness or grandeur, and mahtava can be inflected like other Finnish adjectives to fit different cases and numbers.

Usage and grammar: As an adjective, mahtava agrees with the noun it modifies. Examples include: mahtava rakennus (a great building), mahtava ilta (a wonderful evening), mahtava idea (a great idea). In partitive and other cases the form changes accordingly (mahtavaa, mahtavan, etc.). The word is also used as an exclamation: Mahtavaa! or Mahtavaa, kiitos, meaning “Wonderful!” or “Great, thanks.”

Nuance and equivalents: Mahtava sits somewhere between “great” and “awesome” in English. It is common in everyday speech and media, but can feel overly emphatic in formal writing or restrained contexts. Common synonyms include loistava (brilliant), upea (awesome, superb), and hieno (fine, nice), though each carries slight nuance.

See also: mahti; mahtavuus.

Note: This entry reflects standard Finnish usage and may vary slightly by dialect or register.