kahjustada

Kahjustada is an Estonian verb meaning to injure, harm, or damage. It is a transitive verb used when one causes harm to a person, an animal, a thing, or a situation. The action can be physical, such as injuring someone or breaking something, or non-physical, such as damaging property, reputations, or ecological conditions. Because it covers a broad range of harm, kahjustada appears in both everyday language and formal or legal contexts.

Etymology and form: kahjustada is derived from the noun kahju, meaning damage or loss, with a verb-forming suffix. As with many Estonian transitive verbs, the object following kahjustada specifies what is harmed and may take different case forms depending on aspect and definiteness. The verb therefore functions to express the act of causing harm rather than the harm itself as a state.

Usage notes: In neutral or descriptive prose, kahjustada is used to discuss causation of damage or injury. It can refer to physical injuries, damage to property, or more abstract harms such as harm to rights, reputation, or the environment. It often appears in phrases describing responsibility or consequences, for example in legal, medical, or safety-related contexts. Related terms include kahju (damage), vigastada (to injure physically), and rikkuda or rikkumine (to spoil or damage).

See also: kahju, kahju tekitamine, vigastus, rikkumine, parandama.