vähäistäkään

Vähäistäkään is a Finnish word that functions as an adverbial phrase. It is composed of two parts: "vähäistä" and "kään". "Vähäistä" is the partitive singular form of the adjective "vähäinen," meaning "little," "small," or "slight." The particle "kään" is an enclitic that adds emphasis, often translating to "even," "also," or "either."

Therefore, "vähäistäkään" literally means "even a little" or "not even a little." It is most commonly used in negative constructions to express a complete absence or lack of something, no matter how small. For instance, "en nähnyt vähäistäkään" translates to "I didn't see even a little bit." It emphasizes that absolutely nothing was perceived or present.

The phrase conveys a strong negation, implying that even the slightest trace or amount is missing. It is a common expression in spoken and written Finnish, used to underline the totality of a lack or absence. For example, one might say "hän ei ollut vähäistäkään huolissaan," meaning "he was not even slightly worried," highlighting a complete lack of concern. The word's usage is typically found in sentences where the speaker wants to emphatically state that something is entirely absent.