Oletamme

Oletamme is the present indicative, first-person plural form of the Finnish verb olettaa, meaning to suppose or to assume. In English, it corresponds to “we suppose” or “let us suppose.” The form is commonly used to introduce a premise or working assumption in formal or cautious discourse.

Usage and function: Oletamme is used to present a premise that guides reasoning or planning. It is often followed by a clause introduced with että, meaning “that.” For example: Oletamme, että projekti pysyy aikataulussa. We assume that the project will stay on schedule. The expression helps frame subsequent statements as conditional on the stated assumption.

Grammatical notes: Oletamme is an active-voice, finite verb form that encodes both person and number, with the subject “we” incorporated in the ending -mme. The verb olettaa takes a complement clause, typically with että, to express what is being assumed. In nuance, olettaa conveys a reasoned supposition rather than a mere belief, distinguishing it from luulla (to guess) or uskoa (to believe).

Related forms: The base verb is olettaa (to suppose/assume). Related noun forms include oletus (an assumption) and olettaminen (the act of assuming). Other verb forms adjust tense or mood but retain the same core meaning.

See also: olettaa; oletus; olettaminen; Finnish grammar resources on verb conjugation and clauses with että.