pimeä

Pimeää is the partitive singular form of the Finnish adjective pimeä, meaning dark or dim. It is used to describe a state of darkness or lack of light, especially in predicative clauses and in expressions with nouns in the partitive case to express indefiniteness. Common constructions include on pimeää (it is dark) and ilta on pimeää (the evening is dark). It also appears in phrases such as pimeää yötä or pimeää aikaa, where the noun is in a non-count or indefinite sense. The standard noun for darkness is pimeys.

Linguistic notes and related forms: pimeä declines like a typical Finnish adjective, and pimeää is its partitive singular form used in many everyday contexts. The basic dictionary form is pimeä (dark). In negative clauses or when expressing an unspecified amount or degree of darkness, the partitive form pimeää commonly occurs. The word is widely used in conversation, writing, poetry, and media, reflecting both literal darkness and metaphorical senses such as ignorance or secrecy (pimeä puoli, “the dark side”).

Cultural and semantic context: in Finnish culture, darkness is a prominent feature of the year’s rhythm, especially in winter, influencing language, art, and everyday life. Pimeää often carries associations with the season, mood, or atmosphere, and can be employed metaphorically to convey mystery, threat, or introspection. Related terms include pimeä (dark) and pimeys (darkness).