Võõrandub

Võõrandub is Estonian and represents the third-person singular present tense form of the intransitive verb võõranduma, meaning to become alienated or estranged. The related transitive verb võõrandada means to alienate something or someone, often in a legal sense (to transfer ownership). The noun form võõrandumine refers to the process or act of alienation, while võõrandus can denote alienation in general.

In usage, võõranduda describes a change in social or psychological relationship, such as becoming distant from people or a community. It is commonly used to talk about emotional or relational estrangement rather than explicit legal transfers. The term can appear in sociological, psychological, or literary contexts to describe a gradual disconnection from others or from one’s environment. In legal or formal contexts, alienation of property is expressed with võõrandada and its passive or noun forms (for example, võõrandatakse or võõrandamine), rather than võõrandub.

Etymology traces the verb to võõras, meaning foreign or strange, with the suffixes that form verbs of becoming or changing state. The concept emphasizes a transition from familiarity to estrangement or alien status.

See also: võõranduma, võõrandada, võõrandumine, võõras, estrangement.

Examples:

- Ta võõrandub ümbritsevast kogukonnast. (He becomes estranged from his surrounding community.)

- Aja jooksul võib inimene võõranduda oma sõpradest. (Over time a person may become alienated from their friends.)