Aloita

Aloita is a Finnish verb meaning to begin or to start. It is most commonly encountered in the imperative mood as aloita, meaning "start" or "begin now." The form shown here is used to issue a direct instruction to a singular audience. The basic infinitive is aloittaa, and the related noun aloitus refers to the act of beginning or initiation.

Aloita belongs to Finnish regular verb classes and follows standard -taa/-ata inflection patterns. The imperative singular is aloita, while present tense forms include aloitan (I start) and aloitat (you start). The root alo- connects to concepts of beginning, and related forms include aloittaminen (the act of starting) and aloitus (initiation). This family of words reflects the semantic core of starting or commencing a task or process.

Usage in everyday language is broad, spanning instructions, guides, software interfaces, and dialog. It can pair with noun phrases or gerunds to denote the initiation of an activity. Examples: "Aloita nyt" (Start now). "Aloita uuden projektin suunnittelu" (Begin planning of the new project). The negative imperative is formed with "Älä aloita" to tell someone not to begin.

See also: aloittaminen, aloitus, aloittaa, alkaa, käynnistää. These related terms cover the processes of beginning, initiating, and starting in Finnish.