suhtainen

Suhtainen is a Finnish adjective meaning relative, comparative, or proportional. The word signals that the described quality is not absolute but depends on context, reference points, or comparison. It is formed from the noun suhde (relation or relation to something) with a derivational suffix that yields an adjective describing a characteristic.

In everyday use, suhtainen describes quantities, values, or observations that make sense only in relation to something else. Examples include relative amounts, relative advantages, or relative measures, where the emphasis is on how one thing compares to another. In scientific or technical language, the term can appear in phrases that express dependence or proportionality, such as discussing a phenomenon in relation to a reference condition or another variable.

Grammatically, suhtainen functions as a normal Finnish adjective and agrees with the noun it modifies in number and case. It can be used attributively (suhtainen ominaisuus) or predicatively within a sentence (tulokset ovat suhtaisia), depending on syntax and meaning. In more formal or precise contexts, speakers may prefer related terms like suhteellinen or vertailuun perustuva, but suhtainen remains common in colloquial and semi-formal language to convey relativity or proportion.

Overall, suhtainen serves as a general-purpose term for indicating that something is understood through comparison, context, or proportion rather than as an absolute attribute.