raskused

Raskused is an Estonian noun meaning difficulties or hardships. It is the plural form of raskus, which denotes something that is hard, challenging, or burdensome. The word is formed from the stem rask- with the common Estonian noun suffix -us, and raskused is the plural. It is used across a wide range of contexts to describe obstacles, problems, or challenging circumstances.

In usage, raskused can refer to personal, financial, social, or structural challenges. It often implies a process or period in which difficulties are present rather than a single, isolated obstacle. The term can appear in everyday speech as well as in journalism, politics, and literature, where it is used to discuss circumstances that require effort, endurance, or adjustment.

Grammatically, raskused is a countable plural noun. Its genitive form is raskuste, used to indicate possession or a partitive sense, for example: tal on raskused majandusega (they have difficulties with the economy). Common collocations include phrases like raskused ja piirangud (difficulties and constraints) and raskuste ajal (during difficulties).

Examples:

Ettevõttel on raskused rahastamisega.

Pere pidas raskuste ajal ühiselt vastu.

Raskused is a standard term in Estonian for describing challenging stages of life or activity, and it appears frequently in both informal discourse and formal writing as a concise way to refer to sustained problems or hardships.