Haihduttaa

Haihduttaa is a Finnish verb that has both a physical and a figurative sense. In scientific and everyday language, it means to cause a liquid to change into vapor, i.e., to evaporate or to vaporize. The process, called haihdutus, depends on factors such as temperature, pressure, and the properties of the substance. In everyday speech people may also use haihduttaa to describe something that makes moisture or a scent disperse into the air.

Intransitive use is common with the form haihtuu, describing evaporation as a natural process. For example, “Vesi haihtuu kuumassa ilmassa” or “Vesi haihtuu kiehuessaan” illustrate water turning into vapor. Transitive use exists as well, where the subject causes evaporation of another substance, as in “lämpö haihduttaa kosteutta ilmasta.” This causative sense is more technical and appears in scientific or industrial contexts.

Metaphorically haihduttaa can describe things that fade, diminish, or dissolve from perception or memory, such as “pelko haihtuu päivän mittaan” or “muistot haihtuivat.” While primarily used of liquids and odors, the verb is versatile enough to convey diminishing or dispersal in a broader sense.

Related terms include haihdutus, the process of evaporation, and haihtuminen, the occurrence of evaporation or fading. The word is part of everyday Finnish as well as technical vocabulary in chemistry, physics, and meteorology.