nõrgeneb

Nõrgeneb is an Estonian verb form meaning “to become weaker” or “to weaken.” It is intransitive and used to describe a process in which strength, health, or effectiveness diminishes. The form nõrgeneb is the present tense, third-person singular, used with subjects such as a person, a body part, a system, or an abstract state.

Etymology and formation: the verb derives from the adjective nõrk, meaning weak, with the inchoative suffix -en- and the standard Estonian verb ending -eb in the present tense. Related forms include nõrgenemine (the process of weakening) and nõrkus (weakness).

Usage and contexts: nõrgeneb is commonly used in medical, physiological, and metaphorical contexts. For example: Haiguse tõttu ta nõrgeneb. (Due to the illness, he is weakening.) Kõrge töökoormus võib organismi nõrgeneda. (High workload can weaken the body.) It can also describe the weakening of non-physical states, such as moraal, huvi, or resolve, in appropriate contexts.

Related terms: nõrgenemine (the act or process of weakening), nõrkus (weakness). A closely related verb is nõrgestama, meaning “to weaken someone or something in a more active or deliberate sense,” but it is transitive and used differently from nõrgeneb.

See also: nõrk (weak), nõrga (weak in inflected forms), and other Estonian verbs describing change of state.