vaikealle

Vaikealle is the allative singular form of the Finnish adjective vaikea, meaning "difficult." It is used when the adjective directly modifies a noun in the allative case, conveying “to/for the difficult [one or group].” For example: “Puhuin vaikealle asiakkaalle” (I spoke to the difficult customer), “Hän kirjoitti kirjeen vaikealle ystävälle” (He wrote a letter to the difficult friend), and “Me annamme ohjeet vaikealle ryhmälle” (We give instructions to the difficult group). The corresponding plural form is vaikeille (to/for the difficult ones), as in “vaikeille ihmisille” (to difficult people).

Etymology and grammar: Vaikealle is formed by taking the base adjective vaikea and adding the allative suffix -lle, with agreement in number and case with the noun it describes. Finnish adjectives decline for case and number when they modify a noun. Vaikealle is not used independently; its function is to describe a noun that is in the allative case (for example, asiakkaalle, ystävälle, ihmisille).

Usage notes: Using vaikealle signals a specific characterization of the recipient or target of an action as being difficult, and it tends to occur in descriptive or evaluative contexts. It is common in sentences that describe interactions directed at someone or something: speaking to, giving to, or writing to a person or group deemed difficult.

See also: Finnish grammar, adjectives, allative case, noun-adjective agreement.