Kõvaks

Kõvaks is an Estonian word that functions as the translative form of the adjective kõva, meaning hard or firm. In Estonian grammar, the translative case (suffix -ks) is used after adjectives to express a change of state, roughly translating to “to become …” in English. Therefore, kõvaks literally means “to become hard” or “to grow hard.”

Usage and syntax

Kõvaks appears in predicative constructions with verbs of becoming, most commonly muutuma (to become) and saama (to become / to get). The typical pattern is subject + muutuda/saama + kõvaks. For example: Leib muutus kõvaks (The bread became hard). Ta sai kõvaks (He/She became hard). These forms describe a transition from a previous state to a harder or more rigid state, whether physically (bread, wood, metal when it hardens) or figuratively (a person becoming resolute or unyielding).

Meaning and nuance

The primary sense of kõvaks is physical hardening, but it can also be used figuratively to indicate a change toward greater hardness, rigidity, or inflexibility in attitude or character. It often appears in contexts describing material properties, baked goods, or situations where resistance, firmness, or resilience increases.

See also

Related terms include kõva (hard), kõvadus (hardness), and phrases centered on change of state, such as muutuma (to become).

Notes

As a translative form, kõvaks is not a standalone verb but a predicative complement that completes a state-change clause.