hidasta

Hidasta is a Finnish verb meaning to slow down or decelerate. It is most commonly encountered in everyday language as the imperative form, natively used to tell someone to reduce speed or pace, as in hidasta!, meaning "slow down!" It also appears in present tense and other forms through the verb hidastaa, which means “to slow something down,” and the intransitive hidastua, which means “to slow down” or “to become slower.”

Etymology and related forms: Hidasta derives from the adjective hidas, meaning slow, combined with a command-form suffix. The base verb hidastaa is a causative-style formation used to slow a thing or process. Related nouns include hidastus or hidostus, referring to a slowdown, delay, or deceleration, and hidastuminen, the noun form for the act of slowing down. The intransitive form hidastua denotes becoming slower or slowing down on one’s own, with corresponding forms like hidastun.

Usage and nuances: Hidastaa is used when a subject acts to reduce the speed of an object or process, for example, a driver slowing a vehicle or a machine reducing its rate. Hidastua describes a natural or ongoing process of slowing down. In everyday speech, hidasta may appear on road signs or in instructions to request calm or slower pace in non-traffic contexts as well.

Examples: Minä hidastan vauhtia. The vehicle hidastuu liikenteen seassa. Hidasta! Keep the tone calm or urgent depending on context. See also: hidas, hidastus, hidastuminen, hidastaa, hidastua.