kaunistut

Kaunistut is the second-person singular present indicative form of the Finnish intransitive verb kaunistua, meaning to become more beautiful or to be beautified. The verb describes a change of state in the subject, often related to appearance or charm, and can be used for people, animals, or even places or things in a metaphorical sense.

Grammar and usage: Kaunistua is an intransitive verb; kaunistut is used when addressing someone directly (sinä kaunistut = you become more beautiful). It is commonly found with subjects in the nominative case and can be negated with ei kaunistu. Related forms include kaunistuu (3rd person singular), kaunistuvat (3rd person plural), and past tense kaunistui. The noun forms include kaunistus (ornament, beautification), kaunistuminen (the process of becoming more beautiful), and kaunistuttaminen (the act of beautifying).

Etymology: The word stems from the adjective kaunis (beautiful) with a verb-forming suffix that denotes a transformation or change of state, characteristic of Finnish verbs meaning “to become” or “to undergo.”

Examples:

- Sinä kaunistut, kun pidät kättäsi hiuksiasi kunnossa.

- Kaupunkikuva kaunistuu, kun uudet valot syttyvät illalla.

Notes: Kaunistu and related forms are used in everyday language to describe improvements in appearance, style, or atmosphere, as well as metaphorical beautification in design, urban planning, or aesthetics. The causative counterpart kaunistuttaa means to beautify something or someone by deliberate action.