väri

Väri is the Finnish term for color, referring to the perceptual property by which the human visual system distinguishes different wavelengths of light. In everyday Finnish, väri also covers related attributes such as sävy (hue), kylläisyys (saturation), and kirkkaus (brightness).

Colors arise from light in the visible spectrum, roughly 380 to 740 nanometers. An object's color depends on which wavelengths are reflected or emitted and which are absorbed. Color mixing can be additive (light sources, e.g., red, green, blue) or subtractive (pigments, e.g., cyan, magenta, yellow).

The human eye typically detects color through three types of cone photoreceptors sensitive to different wavelength ranges. To describe color quantitatively, various color spaces are used, such as RGB for displays and CMYK for printing, as well as perceptual spaces like CIELAB. Color management aligns appearance across devices, and metamerism can cause colors to look different under changing light.

In Finnish usage, väri features in technical terms and disciplines, including väriavaruus (color space) and värihallinta (color management). Cultural associations with color vary by context, and color names in Finnish often form compound expressions. The concept is central to art, design, and manufacturing, where precise color communication matters for quality and consistency.

In summary, väri denotes color as a perceptual and physical phenomenon with scientific, technological, and cultural dimensions.