Louhitaan

Louhitaan is the present passive form of the Finnish verb louhia, meaning to quarry or to blast stone. It is used to describe the extraction of rock from a formation, typically in mining, quarrying, or construction settings. In such contexts the agent performing the work is not specified, allowing the statement to apply generally to processes or facilities rather than to a particular person or organization.

Grammatically, louhitaan is formed by adding the suffix -taan to the verb stem louh-, producing the present passive. The corresponding active form is louhii (he/she quarried) and the past passive is louhittiin. The noun for the process is louhinta, meaning quarrying or extraction.

Usage and nuance: In technical writing and reporting, louhitaan conveys that rock or material is being extracted without naming who carries out the work. This makes it common in procedural descriptions, site reports, and geological or industrial texts. It can reflect ongoing operations or general practices in a quarry, mine, or construction project. Environmental and safety contexts frequently employ passive forms to emphasize processes, regulations, or outcomes rather than the specific workers or companies involved.

Example (structural): Kivi louhitaan suurissa louhimoissa. This illustrates how the expression is used to indicate that stone is being quarried in a given setting without detailing the actor. Louhitaan is a standard grammatical tool in Finnish for describing extraction activities in industry and science. See also louhinta and kaivostoiminta.