riipua

Riippua is a Finnish verb meaning to be suspended or to hang from something, and more broadly to depend on or be contingent on something. It is a native Finnic verb used in both physical and figurative senses. The standard form is riippua; it is used with various constructions to express hanging or dependence.

In its physical sense, riippua describes objects that are attached from above and hang down. Common construction is riippua + jostakin: for example, lamppu riippuu katosta (the lamp hangs from the ceiling). Curtains, cables, or plants can also riippua from supports. The nuance sometimes contrasts with roikkuu, which emphasizes a looser or more dangling hang.

In its abstract sense, riippua means to depend on or to hinge on something. It is often used with the partitive or with the conjunction siitä to specify the condition. For example, se riippuu siitä, mitä halutaan saavuttaa (it depends on what one wants to achieve). The impersonal form riippuu is frequently used without a clear subject in everyday speech, as in "Riippuu" or, more fully, "Riippuu siitä."

Related forms include riippuvuus (dependence, dependence on something, or addiction) and riippuvainen (dependent). The adjective riippuva can describe something that is hanging or suspended, as in riippuva köysi (a hanging rope). Etymologically, riippua is a native Finnish verb with a general sense of attachment and reliance, widely attested in standard Finnish.

See also: dependent, dependence, hanging.