älkäämme

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈælkæːmːe/, [ˈælk̟æːmːe̞]
• Hyphenation: äl‧kääm‧me

Verb

älkäämme

1. (dated) The first-person plural form of the negative verb (negation verb) in imperative, let us/let's not.

   • Juoskaamme! (“Let's run!”) Älkäämme juosko! (“Let's not run!”)

Usage notes

• Älkäämme is used with a connegative form of the main verb, ending with -ko/-kö, identical to the form used with third-person singular, first-person plural and second-person plural.

• The first person plural of imperative, both as positive and as negative, is nowadays a bit old-fashioned so it, primarily, pertains to ceremonious, formal, archaic, poetic or religious contexts. Thus, instead of this actual imperative, the impersonal verb form is more often used when the speaker wants to command or to persuade the people s/he talks to to do something:

Pelatkaamme jääkiekkoa! → Pelataan jääkiekkoa! = Let's play ice hockey!

Conjugation

• The negation verb has no infinitive form.
• Indicative, conditional and potential moods use the indicative forms (stem e-), for which the verb is conjugated only in person.
• In the imperative mood the negation verb has the stem äl-.
• An archaic optative mood exists and is used mainly in poetry.

person	indicative mood	imperative mood	optative mood
1st sing.	en	—	—
2nd sing.	et	älä	(ällös)
3rd sing.	ei	älköön	(älköön)
1st plur.	emme	älkäämme	(älköömme)
2nd plur.	ette	älkää	(älköötte)
3rd plur.	eivät	älkööt	(älkööt)