The imperative (imperatiivi) is the mood of commands, requests, advice and instructions: "Come!", "Wait!", "Don't worry". Finnish has separate imperative forms for "you" (singular) and "you" (plural/polite), plus its own negative words — älä and älkää. Let's take it step by step — it's one of the most practical topics for beginners.
The key rule for the singular: take the "minä" present-tense form and drop the -n. puhun → puhu! (speak), tulen → tule! (come), otan → ota! (take). This same stem is also used for negation — see Finnish Negation.
The singular imperative ("you", one person)
The most common form. The recipe is simple: take the minä (I) form in the present tense and drop the final -n.
| Verb | "minä" form | Imperative (singular) |
|---|---|---|
| puhua (to speak) | puhun | puhu! (speak) |
| lukea (to read) | luen | lue! (read) |
| tulla (to come) | tulen | tule! (come) |
| mennä (to go) | menen | mene! (go) |
| ottaa (to take) | otan | ota! (take) |
| syödä (to eat) | syön | syö! (eat) |
| tehdä (to do) | teen | tee! (do) |
The plural and polite imperative
Add -kaa / -kää to the verb stem (the vowel follows vowel harmony). This same form is used to address one person politely.
| Verb | Imperative (plural) |
|---|---|
| puhua | puhukaa! (speak) |
| lukea | lukekaa! (read) |
| tulla | tulkaa! (come) |
| mennä | menkää! (go) |
| ottaa | ottakaa! (take) |
| tavata (to meet) | tavatkaa! (meet) |
Note that in the plural, verbs with gradation switch back to the strong grade (ota! but ottakaa!). For how verb types and their stems work, see Finnish Verb Types: All Six.
The negative imperative (don't)
This uses special words: älä for the singular and älkää for the plural.
| Singular: älä + stem | Plural: älkää + stem + -ko/-kö |
|---|---|
| älä puhu (don't speak) | älkää puhuko (don't speak) |
| älä mene (don't go) | älkää menkö (don't go) |
| älä ota (don't take) | älkää ottako (don't take) |
| älä tule (don't come) | älkää tulko (don't come) |
For the singular, älä is followed by the same stem as the positive imperative. For the plural, add -ko/-kö to the stem.
Where you'll meet the imperative
- Recipes and instructions: Sekoita ainekset (mix the ingredients), Lisää suolaa (add salt), Paista 20 minuuttia (bake for 20 minutes).
- Signs and directions: Työnnä (push), Vedä (pull), Käänny oikealle (turn right).
- Everyday requests: Odota hetki (wait a moment), Anna anteeksi (sorry / forgive me).
A bare imperative can sound blunt. You can soften a request with ole hyvä ("please") or the conditional: Voisitko auttaa? — "Could you help?". For the conditional, see The Finnish Conditional.
Third person: "let…"
There's also a rarer third-person form in -koon/-köön (plural -koot/-kööt) meaning "let": Eläköön Suomi! — "Long live Finland!", Tulkoon hän — "Let him come". It's not common in everyday speech, but worth recognising.
How to drill the imperative
- First make the singular automatic: minä-form minus -n. This is also the stem for negation.
- Then add the plural in -kaa/-kää across the verb types.
- Practise the negatives älä / älkää separately — they're easiest to learn in pairs (älä mene / älkää menkö).
FAQ
How do you form the singular imperative in Finnish?
Take the minä (I) form in the present tense and drop the -n: puhun → puhu (speak), tulen → tule (come), otan → ota (take), syön → syö (eat).
How do you say the plural imperative?
Add -kaa/-kää to the verb stem: puhukaa (speak), tulkaa (come), menkää (go), ottakaa (take). The same form is also the polite way to address one person.
How do you say "don't" in Finnish?
For the singular, älä + stem: älä mene (don't go), älä ota (don't take). For the plural, älkää + stem + -ko/-kö: älkää menkö, älkää ottako.
What do älä and älkää mean?
They are the negative words of the imperative: älä is used with the singular, älkää with the plural. They replace the ordinary negative verb ei in the imperative mood.
How do you soften a command in Finnish?
A bare imperative sounds blunt. Soften it with ole hyvä ("please") or the conditional: Voisitko auttaa? — "Could you help?". That's politer than a direct Auta! (Help!).