kahjustuma

Kahjustuma is an Estonian verb meaning to become damaged or to suffer harm. It describes a decline in function, integrity, or quality of an object, body, or system, and can refer to physical damage as well as metaphorical impairment.

In usage, kahjustuma is intransitive: the subject undergoes the damage rather than causing it. It is common in safety, medical, and everyday contexts to talk about things that may deteriorate or break. Examples include physical objects like machinery or clothing, as well as living beings. For instance: “Masin võib kahjustuda” (The machine may become damaged) and “Riided võivad kahjustuda vihma tõttu” (The clothes may be damaged due to rain). The verb can also describe harm to people, as in “Inimesed võivad kahjustuda kohtudes õnnetusega” (People can be harmed in an accident).

Kahjustuma has related nouns such as kahju, meaning harm or damage, and kahjustus, meaning injury or impairment. The transitive counterpart kahjustada means to damage something or someone, typically by an agent. The term is widely used across everyday language, safety guidelines, and formal writing to indicate that damage has occurred or may occur.

Etymology traces kahjustuma to the noun kahju (harm, damage) and common Estonian verb formation patterns that express becoming or changing state. The word appears in both literal and figurative contexts, conveying a loss of condition, function, or value.