Dëmtojmë

Dëmtojmë is an Albanian verb that means we damage or we harm. It denotes the act of causing damage to something, whether a physical object, property, environment, or an abstract quality such as trust or reputation. The form is the present tense, first-person plural, used with the subject “ne” (we).

Etymology and related forms: The verb is built from the noun dëm, meaning harm or damage, with a common Albanian verb-forming suffix. Related forms include dëmtuar (damaged, past participle), dëmtojnë (they damage), and dëmshmëri (notable harm). The passive voice can be formed as dëmtohet (it is damaged) or dëmtohen (they are damaged). The adjective form dëmshëm is used for “harmful.”

Usage: Dëmtojmë is transitive and takes a direct object in the accusative. It can refer to physical damage, such as to equipment or infrastructure, as well as figurative damage, like harming a relationship or the environment. In discourse, it is often used to describe preventable or caused harm and can appear in conditional constructions, for example: Nëse nuk kujdesemi, dëmtojmë mjedisin (If we do not take care, we damage the environment).

Notes: The term is neutral and common in everyday Albanian as well as in formal writing. It contrasts with forms that describe being damaged (dëmtuar) or the ongoing state of damage (dëmtohet, dëmtohen). See also dëm (harm), dëmtim (damage), and dëmues (damaging).

In summary, dëmtojmë is the present tense form used to express that “we damage,” applicable to both tangible and intangible targets, and it sits within a family of related terms referring to harm and damage in Albanian.