Kävelemään

Kävelemään is the to-infinitive form of the Finnish verb kävellä, meaning to walk. It is a non-finite form used in various grammatical constructions to express purpose, intention, or the action of walking as something that is undertaken in relation to another verb.

Usage and function

The -mään suffix marks a type of infinitive that commonly follows verbs of movement, intention, or initiation. It is frequently paired with verbs such as mennä (to go), alkaa (to begin), jatkaa (to continue), or aikoa (to intend) to express phrases like “go to walk,” “begin walking,” or “intend to walk.” In many sentences kävelemään serves as the action that is being pursued or described without being conjugated for person or tense.

Examples

- Mennään kävelemään. (Let’s go for a walk.)

- Hän päätti lähteä kävelemään. (He decided to go for a walk.)

- Olen menossa kävelemään kaupungin läpi. (I am going to walk through the city.)

Grammar notes

Kävelemään is one of several infinitive forms in Finnish. It does not itself carry tense; instead, the finite verb in the clause provides time and mood. The form is closely related to the base verb kävellä and is used to convey a non-finite action linked to another verb.

Etymology and related forms

The form derives from kävellä with the suffix -mään, a common pattern for forming infinitives that express purpose or infinitive-like complements. Related forms include other infinitives built with different suffixes, used in different grammatical contexts, all connected to the verb kävellä.

See also

Kävellä, Finnish infinitives, non-finite clauses.