Litistyvät

Litistyvät is a Finnish verb form meaning “they become flattened” or “they are flattened.” It is the third-person plural present tense of the intransitive verb litistyä, which describes a process of flattening or compression in which the subject undergoes a change of state. Because litistyä is intransitive, litistyvät does not take a direct object; the emphasis is on the subject’s transformation rather than an action performed on something else.

Usage of litistyvät appears in scientific and descriptive writing as well as in everyday language when referring to physical changes caused by pressure, contact, or deformation. It is common in geology and materials science to describe rocks, layers, or other materials that become thinner or more even under sustained pressure. The term can also be used in more general contexts to convey surfaces or structures that have become flatter over time or under force.

Examples:

- Kivet litistyvät paineen vaikutuksesta. (The rocks flatten under the influence of pressure.)

- Kallioperän kerrokset litistyvät, kun ne joutuvat suureen puristukseen. (The layers of the bedrock flatten under significant compression.)

Related terms include litistyä (to become flattened) and litistys (the act or process of flattening). Litistyvät is a non-technical, descriptive form suitable for noting changes in physical form in Finnish texts.