äänetön

äänetön is a Finnish adjective meaning without sound; silent or mute. It is used to describe situations, environments, or objects that produce no audible sound, as well as moments when speech is not produced. The related noun is äänettömyys and the adverb is äänettömästi.

Etymology and forms: äänetön is formed from the noun ääni (sound) with the Finnish suffix -tön, which marks absence or lack. This yields a core meaning of “lacking sound.” The word has a corresponding noun (äänettömyys) and an adverb (äänettömästi). In everyday language, äänetön can describe both physical silence and the absence of vocal activity in a given setting.

Usage and context: äänetön is commonly used for describing spaces, objects, or situations with no audible noise, for example a completely äänetön huone (a completely silent room) or a device in äänettömä tila (silent mode). When referring to people, äänetön often emphasizes lack of audible speech; in many contexts, however, the term mykkä is more common for a person who cannot speak. In Finnish film terminology, silent films are typically called mykkäelokuvat, though äänetön elokuva would be understood.

Synonyms and contrasts: close to hiljainen (quiet), but äänetön specifically denotes absence of sound rather than a gentle level of noise. Vaiti and vaitioloinen describe silence related to speaking or staying silent, while meluisa is the opposite of äänetön.

See also: hiljaisuus, äänettömyys, mykkäelokuva.