Särkyy

Särkyy is a Finnish verb form meaning that something cracks or breaks, used to describe both literal physical fracture and, figuratively, a breakdown in non-physical contexts. In everyday Finnish, the form appears with inanimate subjects and is commonly used to report ongoing or potential breaking events.

In literal usage, särkyy describes objects such as glass, ceramics, or metal that fracture under stress. For example, the sentence Lasi särkyy helposti translates to The glass cracks easily. The form can also appear in passive or impersonal constructions, depending on the surrounding grammar, to convey that a material tends to fracture under certain conditions.

In figurative usage, särkyy is employed to characterize breakdowns in systems, plans, or relationships. For instance, Paineen alla suhde särkyy can be rendered as The relationship cracks under pressure. This metaphorical extension is common in everyday speech and writing, enabling concise descriptions of stress, vulnerability, or impending failure.

Etymology and related forms: särkyy derives from the Finnic verb family associated with breaking or cracking. It is one of several inflected forms that Finnish verbs take to express tense, mood, or voice. Related terms include säre- (root related to break or crack) and the noun särky, which can denote a crack or an ache in some contexts, as in päänsärky (headache).

See also: Särky (crack, fracture or ache), päänsärky (headache). See the broader topics of Finnish verb conjugation and material fracture terms for further context.