terävissä

Terävissä is the inessive plural form of the Finnish adjective terävä, which means sharp, keen, or acute. In grammar, terävissä is used to describe a state or condition and is typically attached to a plural noun in the inessive case, signaling “in” or “in the state of” something. For example, terävissä oloissa means in sharp or acute conditions, and terävissä keskusteluissa means in pointed or incisive discussions. The form is part of the broader system of Finnish adjective inflection, which changes to reflect number, case, and definiteness.

Meaning and usage: terävä carries both literal and figurative senses. Literally, it can describe physical sharpness, such as a blade or edge. Figuratively, it extends to mental acuity, wit, and incisiveness—qualities like sharp analysis, quick thinking, or keen observations. When used in the inessive plural, terävissä emphasizes that the described sharpness or keenness exists within the stated conditions, situations, or discussions.

Context and variation: terävissä is most commonly found with plural nouns in the inessive, such as oloissa (conditions), tilanteissa (situations), or keskusteluissa (discussions). In everyday speech, speakers may instead use alternative constructions depending on nuance and register, but terävissä remains a standard form in written Finnish and formal speech. The form is one step in the broader adjective system that includes terävä, terävän, teräviä, terävässä, and related derivatives such as terävöittää, which convey sharpen or intensify in different grammatical contexts.