kaunistua

Kaunistua is a Finnish verb meaning to become more beautiful or to improve in appearance. It describes a change of state in the subject toward greater beauty or adornment, and it is used for people, objects, or scenes. The action is intransitive, so it does not take a direct object.

Conjugation and forms are standard for Finnish intransitive verbs. Present tense forms include: minä kaunistun, sinä kaunistut, hän kaunistuu, me kaunistumme, te kaunistutte, he kaunistuvat. Imperfect (past) forms include: kaunistuin, kaunistuit, kaunistui, kaunistuimme, kaunistuitte, kaunistuivat. The past participle is kaunistunut and is used with the auxiliary olla to form perfect tenses, for example: olen kaunistunut, olet kaunistunut, hän on kaunistunut. A related noun is kaunistus, meaning beautification or adornment.

Usage notes and nuance: kaunistua is common in descriptive or literary contexts and can describe improvements in appearance of people, plants, landscapes, or atmospheres. It often conveys natural or perceived enhancement rather than deliberate decoration. In many contexts it emphasizes a change over time or in response to conditions such as light, season, or surroundings.

See also: kaunistus (beautification) and kaunistaminen (the act or process of beautifying).