Hajottivat

Hajottivat is the third-person plural past tense of the Finnish verb hajottaa, meaning to break into pieces, to disintegrate, or to ruin something by causing it to fall apart. The form is used when describing that multiple subjects performed an action that resulted in fragmentation or breakdown. It can apply to physical objects, such as vessels or structures, as well as to abstract entities like plans, systems, or relationships.

Etymology and grammar: Hajottaa is a causative-transitive verb derived from hajota, which means to break or crumble. The past tense ending -ivat marks plural past indicative, so hajottivat literally means “they broke apart.” The infinitive is hajottaa, and other conjugations follow Finnish verb patterns with the same root hajott-.

Usage and nuance: In everyday Finnish, hajottivat is commonly found in reporting about damage or destruction, as well as in narratives describing deliberate disassembly or fragmentation. It can also be used metaphorically to indicate the breakdown of cooperation or organizational structure. For example: "Tulipalo hajotti laitteiston" (The fire disintegrated the equipment) or "Kokoonpano hajottivat sopimuksen" (The alliance/disagreement broke apart the agreement). The word carries a sense of force leading to separation into parts, rather than gradual deterioration.

Related forms include hajottaa (present), hajotan (I break into pieces), and hajotimme (we broke apart). As a common transitive verb, hajottaa appears across technical, news, and literary contexts to convey clear fragmentation or disruption.