Tuhlaa

Tuhlaa is a Finnish verb meaning to waste or squander resources such as money, time, or opportunities. It is a common term in everyday language and usually carries a negative or critical tone.

Grammatical notes: tuhlA is a regular type-1 verb with the infinitive tuhlA. In present tense, forms include minä tuhlaan, sinä tuhlaat, hän tuhlaa, me tuhlaamme, te tuhlaatte, he tuhlaavat. The verb can combine with objects like rahaa or aikaa to specify what is being wasted. A common participial form is tuhlannut, used in the perfect tense (for example, hän on tuhlannut rahaa). The related noun tuhlaaminen refers to the act of wasting.

Usage examples:

- Minä tuhlaan rahaa liikaa ruokiin, joita en todellakaan tarvitse.

- Hän tuhlaa aina aikaa pelaamiseen eikä suunnittele asioita etukäteen.

- Älä tuhlaa mahdollisuuksiasi; käytä tilaisuutesi viisaasti.

- Hän on tuhlannut rahaa viime kuussa, mutta tilanne on korjaantumassa.

Etymology and variants: tuhlaa is native Finnish and is used across genres from everyday speech to media. The verb pairs with common collocations such as rahaa tuhlata (to waste money) or aikaa tuhlata (to waste time). The noun form tuhlaaminen expresses the act of wasting, and the adjective tuhma? No—tuhlaava describes someone who tends to waste.

Overall, tuhlA conveys a judgment about inefficient or imprudent use of limited resources, and it remains a standard, widely understood term in Finnish.