Keitellä

Keitellä is a Finnish verb meaning to simmer or boil gently in liquid, typically by heating a pot of water, stock, or other liquid. The primary sense is culinary: to cook food by heating it slowly in liquid so that it remains near the boiling point without a vigorous boil. It is commonly used for soups, sauces, and other dishes prepared by simmering.

In everyday use, keitellä often describes the act of cooking something by maintaining a low, steady heat over time. Examples include phrases such as “keittelee keittoa kattilassa” (s/he is simmering soup in a pot) or “keitin veden, kunnes pasta oli kypsää” (I heated the water until the pasta was done). The verb can also refer to brewing or preparing beverages through gentle heating, for instance “keitellä kahvia” in some contexts, though the more common expression for coffee is often simply “keitetty kahvi” (boiled coffee).

Figurative use is common in Finnish as well. Keitellä can mean to be brewing or devising something, such as plans, ideas, or schemes: “keittelee suunnitelmia” or “keitellä juonia.” In this sense, it conveys gradual development or preparation, rather than a finished product.

Grammar notes: keitellä is a regular Finnish verb. It forms standard person endings in the present tense and follows typical conjugation patterns for verbs ending in -lla. The past forms, imperatives, and participles align with Finnish verb conjugation conventions.

Related terms include keittää (to boil, more general), keitto (soup), and keittäminen (boiling, the act of boiling). Keittele is widely understood in Finland and is common in both everyday and culinary language.