rikottu

Rikottu is a Finnish adjective and past participle meaning “broken” or “damaged,” used to describe objects or conditions that have been physically compromised. It is formed from the verb rikkoa (to break) with the past participle suffix -ttu, yielding rikottu.

Usage: As an attributive adjective, rikottu typically precedes the noun: rikottu lasi (a broken glass), rikotut astiat (broken dishes). It can also appear predicatively: Lasi on rikottu (The glass is broken). The term covers a wide range of damaged items, including glassware, ceramics, tools, and vehicles, and it can occasionally be used metaphorically to describe broken systems or relationships, though more specific expressions are common for abstract damage.

Grammar: In Finnish, adjectives inflect for number and case like other modifiers, so forms such as rikotut lasit (broken glasses) or rikotun lasin (of the broken glass) are used as required. The form adapts to the noun it modifies and to the sentence’s grammatical role.

Examples: Pöydällä on rikottu muki. (There is a broken mug on the table.) Rikottuja laseja kerättiin talteen. (The broken glasses were collected.)

See also: Finnish language, participles, adjective inflection.