Epäonnistuit

Epäonnistuit is a Finnish phrase that literally translates to “you failed” in English. It is the past tense, second‑person singular form of the verb epäonnistua, which means “to fail.” The prefix epä- signals a negation or lack, and onnistu refers to success or achievement, so the compound conveys a failure of achieving a goal or objective. The verb is irregular; its infinitive is epäonnistua, the past participle is epäonnistunut, and the present participle is epäonnistuvainen. In colloquial speech, epäonnistuit can be used as a direct criticism or as a more neutral observation in contexts such as academic assessment, workplace performance reviews, or sporting competitions. The phrase can also appear as part of broader expressions, for example epäonnistui pin/ epäonnistuitko, which together mean “Did you fail?”.

The word is widely used in written and spoken Finnish, appearing in media reports, literary works, and everyday conversation. It is often accompanied by contextual qualifiers that indicate the area of failure, such as arvoitus epäonnistui (the puzzle failed) or tehtävä epäonnistui (the task was unsuccessful). Because it is a straightforward statement of failure, it can be perceived as harsh; speakers sometimes soften it with phrases such as “ei mennyt sovin” (it did not go as planned) or “issyi epäonnistui” (the attempt failed). Despite this, the strict grammatical form remains unchanged. The term is also relevant in psychological discussions, where it may be used to describe meta‑cognitive beliefs about one's capabilities, thereby influencing motivation and self‑concept.