pienempinä

Pienempinä is a Finnish grammatical form used to express "as smaller ones" in reference to a group of entities. It is a plural essive construction derived from the adjective pienempi (smaller) and is formed with the suffix -nä, yielding pienempinä. The form functions to describe entities in a particular state or role, similar to saying “as smaller ones” in English.

In practice, pienempinä appears in predicative or descriptive clauses, often in formal or analytic prose. It can appear in comparisons introduced by kuin (than) to describe relative size or importance, for example when contrasting several groups or items. The form agrees with a plural referent and typically accompanies a noun in the predicate position or stands in ellipses where the noun is understood from context.

Pienempinä is part of a broader pattern of Finnish adjectival phrases that use the essive case in the plural with the -na/-nä suffix. The corresponding opposite form is isompina, meaning "as bigger ones," which is used in parallel comparative constructions. The singular equivalents include pienempänä (singular essive) and related forms, which adjust for number and case.

The term is mainly encountered in written Finnish, including descriptive, historical, or analytical texts that describe groups or items by relative size or role. It is less common in casual spoken language, where simpler constructions are often favored.

See also: Finnish grammar, Essive case, Comparative forms, Isompina.