Lävistetään

Lävistetään is a Finnish verb form meaning “is pierced” or “is perforated through.” It is the present passive form of lävistää, which denotes piercing or perforating with a sharp instrument or tool. The term is used when describing an action done to an object rather than by an agent.

Lävistää originates from the concept of piercing with a tool, and the related noun lävistys refers to the act or result of piercing. The passive form lävistetään is commonly employed in descriptions of procedures, instructions, and technical contexts where the emphasis is on the result for the object.

Usage of lävistetään spans several domains. In industrial and artisanal settings, it describes punching holes in materials such as metal, leather, or plastic, typically using a punch, drill, or similar equipment. In body modification and cosmetic contexts, lävistää means to pierce a part of the body, and lävistetään describes the outcome of such a procedure, for example in medical or instructional texts. While the passive form appears in procedural writing, many writers prefer active voice (e.g., the practitioner pierces the ear) in everyday language.

Examples include: “Korva lävistetään ennen korvakorun asettamista” (The ear is pierced before placing an earring), or “Reikiä lävistetään metallilevyyn” (Holes are punched in the metal sheet). The term is closely associated with the noun lävistys, which denotes a piercing or the act of piercing, and with devices such as lävistin (piercing tool). See also: lävistys, lävistin, piercing.