säröillä

Säröillä is a Finnish verb meaning to crack or to develop cracks in a surface, or more broadly to show fissures or interruptions in a material. The related noun särö refers to a crack, fracture, or fault. The term is used in both literal contexts—such as surfaces, coatings, and rocks—and more figurative ones, describing flaws or inconsistencies in systems, plans, or arguments.

In practical use, säröillä describes physical cracking in construction and materials science. Surfaces like paint, plaster, concrete, or glaze may säröillä as a result of aging, drying, moisture, or thermal stress. In geology and related fields, särö refers to natural fractures in rocks, joints or faults, and iterated stress can cause rock masses to säröillä. In restoration or conservation work, cracks revealed by aging materials are a common topic where the verb describes the ongoing process or state of cracking.

Metaphorically, säröillä can describe flaws or inconsistencies in non-physical domains, such as plans, theories, or organizational processes. In this sense, something that säröilee is not functioning perfectly and may require revision or intervention. The verb forms include säröilee (he/she/it cracks), säröivät (they crack), and the infinitive säröillä; the noun forms include särö (crack) and plural säröt or särötöiden, depending on the construction. Säröillä is part of everyday Finnish as well as technical vocabulary in construction, geology, and conservation, making it a versatile term for describing damage, wear, or imperfection.

See also: särö, halkeama, murtuma, säröily.