Huolehdi

Huolehdi is the second-person singular imperative form of the Finnish verb huolehtia, meaning to take care, to look after, or to be concerned. As an imperative, huolehdi is used to directly address someone and give a directive or friendly warning, often translated as “Take care” or “Look after yourself.” It appears commonly in everyday speech, advice, and safety or wellbeing guidance, for example: “Huolehdi itsestäsi” (Take care of yourself) or “Huolehdi asioistasi” (Take care of your affairs).

Morphology and usage context: huolehdi is derived from the verb huolehtia. In Finnish, imperatives are formed from the infinitive stem, and huolehdi represents the standard imperative form used with informal, direct address. The related past tense form huolehti means “took care” or “was concerned” and is used when describing past actions, as in “Hän huolehti lapsista” (He/she took care of the children). Huolehdi itself is not a noun or a proper noun; it functions purely as a verb form in the imperative mood.

Cultural and linguistic notes: As a common directive, huolehdi features in instructional materials, health and safety communications, and everyday conversations. It illustrates a broader pattern in Finnish where imperatives are formed from verb stems to convey direct, practical exhortations. While huolehdi is widely understood in Finnish, it remains a grammatical form rather than a named entity or concept with independent meaning beyond the imperative.

See also: huolehtia, Finnish imperative mood, Finnish grammar.