Laukaistaan

Laukaistaan is a Finnish verb form that represents the present passive voice of the verb lau kaista. In English, it is commonly translated as “is triggered,” “is fired,” or “is started.” The form is used when the subject of the sentence is acted upon by an external agent or when the agent is not specified.

Etymology and meaning. The verb lau kaista is related to the noun lau kaus, which refers to a discharge, firing, or trigger. Laukaista generally means to cause something to trigger, to discharge a weapon, or to start an automatic process or device. The passive form laukaistaan emphasizes the result of the triggering rather than the doer of the action.

Usage. Laukaistaan appears frequently in technical, safety, legal, and news contexts. It describes situations where a device, system, or mechanism is activated without naming the specific agent responsible. For example, in a safety report one might read: “Hätävaroitus laukaistaan, kun anturi havaitsee riskit,” meaning “The emergency alert is triggered when the sensor detects risks.” It is also used in manuals and procedures to denote automatic or user-initiated triggering events in general terms.

Related forms. The active counterpart is laukaista (to trigger or to discharge). Related nouns include laukaisulaite (triggering device) and laukaisutoiminto (triggering action). Other passive forms include laukaistiin (past passive) and laukaistaneen (potential future passive).

See also. Laukaus, the act of discharging or firing; laukaisija, a trigger mechanism.