Vocab: jätkusuutlik
sustainable, able to continue its activity
Building blocks
jätku- - "continuation" or "continuance"
-suut- - derived from the verb “suutma” which means “to be able to” or “to be capable of”
-lik - an adjective-forming ending
So, "jätkusuutlik" literally translates to "capable of continuation," which captures the essence of sustainability.
How to use it:
Sustainability (environmental):
Me peame leidma jätkusuutlikke viise energia tootmiseks.
Translation: We need to find sustainable ways to produce energy.
Long-term viability (of plans or strategies):
Linnaplaneerijad keskenduvad jätkusuutlikele arendustele."
Translation: City planners focus on sustainable developments.
Examples
Jätkusuutlik energiakasutus on meie tuleviku jaoks oluline
Literally: “Sustainable energy use is our future for important”
Idiomatically: “Sustainable energy use is crucial for our future”
Jätkusuutlik - Adjective - Nominative Sg, "Sustainable"
energiakasutus - Noun - Nominative Sg, "energy use"
on - Verb - 3P Present Sg, "is"
meie - Pronoun - Genitive Pl, "our"
tuleviku - Noun - Genitive Sg, "future"
jaoks - Postposition - Indeclinable, "for"
oluline - Adjective - Nominative Sg, "important"