reikäinen

Reikäinen is a Finnish adjective meaning holey or perforated, describing something that has holes or perforations. It is formed from the noun reikä, meaning “hole,” plus the derivational suffix -inen, which yields adjectives that denote a characteristic. The word is inflected to agree with the noun it describes (for example, reikäinen in singular and reikäiset in plural).

Usage and examples

Reikäinen is used to describe concrete objects with holes, such as fabric with holes, a perforated surface, or cheese with holes. Example: Tämä paita on reikäinen. (This shirt is full of holes.) It can also be used figuratively to indicate something lacking in parts or coherence, as in reikäinen tarina (a story with gaps).

Context

The term is common in everyday Finnish and appears across various registers, from casual speech to written language. It can describe a wide range of items, including textiles, tools, and foods—most famously associated with Swiss cheese in Finnish as reikäjuusto, a cheese renowned for its holes.

Related terms

Related noun: reikä (hole). Related compound: reikäjuusto (Swiss cheese). The concept can be extended to other perforated or porous items, though precise terminology may vary by material and context.