vaivalloinen

Vaivalloinen is a Finnish adjective meaning burdensome, tedious, or troublesome. It describes tasks, processes, or situations that require substantial effort, time, or cause inconvenience. The word is commonly used in formal or written Finnish to convey that something is difficult to deal with or slows progress.

Etymology and nuance: The term derives from vaiva, meaning trouble or bother, with the attributive suffix -llinen forming adjectives. The form vaivalloinen is common, with vaivallinen as a closely related variant. The nuance is that something is not just difficult, but also irritating or friction-filled, often implying additional planning, resources, or persistence.

Usage: It is typically placed before a noun: vaivalloinen tehtävä (a burdensome task), vaivallinen prosessi (a cumbersome process), vaivallinen byrokratia (a troublesome bureaucracy). It can describe situations or experiences in a more literary or formal style, but is less common in casual speech.

Synonyms and contrasts: Synonyms include työläs, rasittava, hankala. Antonyms include vaivaton and helppo. In English, closest translations are burdensome, tedious, laborious, or onerous.

Examples:

- Tämä vaivallinen tehtävä vie paljon aikaa. (This burdensome task takes a lot of time.)

- Byrokratia voi tuntua vaivalloiselta prosessilta. (Bureaucracy can feel like a cumbersome process.)

Vaivalloinen thus conveys a sense of ongoing difficulty or nuisance beyond mere difficulty, often signaling that extra effort or resources are required.