vaikeaksi

Vaikeaksi is the translative form of the Finnish adjective vaikea, meaning difficult. It is used to express a change of state or condition, indicating that something has become or turned into something that is difficult.

In Finnish, the translative case (-ksi) marks a transition into a new state and is commonly used with verbs that denote becoming or making. Vaikeaksi functions as a predicative complement describing what something has become. Typical constructions include verbs such as tulla and muuttua, as well as other verbs that imply a change of state. For example, Tilanne muuttui vaikeaksi means “the situation became difficult,” and Se tuli vaikeaksi ymmärtää means “it became difficult to understand.”

usage notes: Vaikeaksi is used with nouns or clauses in the context of change rather than describing an ongoing quality. It often appears in written and formal styles, but is also common in everyday Finnish. The form is strictly the translative singular; it does not denote a comparative degree.

Etymology: Vaikea is a native Finnish adjective meaning difficult; adding the translative suffix -ksi yields the form vaikeaksi, which signals a change into the described state.

See also: Finnish grammar, translative case, adjective declensions, vaikea.

Overall, vaikeaksi is a stable, productive form in Finnish for expressing that something has become difficult, typically via verbs of change such as muuttua or tulla.