pehmeäksi

Pehmeäksi is a Finnish word that functions as the translative form of the adjective pehmeä, meaning "soft." It expresses a change of state or transformation into softness and is typically used with verbs that denote becoming or turning into something, such as tulla (to become) or muuttaa (to change into). The form pehmeäksi is singular; the corresponding plural form is pehmeiksi.

Usage examples include sentences like taikina muuttuu pehmeäksi, kun siihen lisätään nestettä (the dough becomes soft when liquid is added) and neuvottelut muuttuivat pehmeiksi (the negotiations became softer/less harsh). In Finnish, pehmeäksi functions in predicate position to describe the resulting state after an action, rather than describing a permanent attribute.

Etymology and grammar: pehmeäksi is formed from the stem pehmeä with the translative suffix -ksi, which marks a change of state. The word can be used both literally (physical softness) and metaphorically (softening of tone, stance, or conditions). The related forms include pehmeä (soft) and pehmeiksi (soft, plural translative).

Translations and usage notes: The primary meaning is "to become soft" or "to turn into soft." In contexts of making something softer, Finnish often uses the verb muuttaa or tehdä in combination with pehmeäksi, or uses pehmennys/pehmentää for the verb “to soften.” Pehmeäksi is not used to describe an inherent softness, but the achieved state after some action.