painava

Painava is a Finnish adjective meaning heavy or weighty, used for both physical heaviness and figurative gravity. It describes objects with substantial mass, such as painava kivi (a heavy stone), as well as abstract matters, like painava päätös (a weighty decision) or painava syy (a weighty/serious reason).

Etymology and classification: The word is derived from the verb painaa, meaning “to press” or “to weigh down.” It belongs to the -ava group of Finnish adjectives. Like other Finnish adjectives, painava inflects for number and case to agree with the noun it modifies, following standard Finnish agreement patterns.

Usage and forms: In a noun phrase, painava precedes the noun: painava kivi, painava päätös. In predicative position: Kivi on painava. The comparative form is painavampi, and the superlative form is painavin, with the appropriate inflected endings for number and case in use. Painava often conveys seriousness or significance beyond mere physical weight; for physical heft, words like raskas can also be used, depending on nuance.

See also: Finnish adjectives; painaa.