Pelätä

Pelätä is a Finnish verb that translates to "to fear" in English. It is a fundamental word used to express a feeling of apprehension or alarm in response to a perceived threat or danger. The verb can be used in various contexts, ranging from simple expressions of personal fear to more complex descriptions of societal anxieties.

The conjugation of "pelätä" follows standard Finnish verb patterns. For instance, in the present tense, the first-person singular is "minä pelkään" (I fear), and the third-person singular is "hän pelkää" (he/she fears). In the past tense, it becomes "minä pelkäsin" (I feared) and "hän pelkäsi" (he/she feared). The future tense is often expressed using the conditional mood or auxiliary verbs.

"Pelätä" can be followed by a partitive object when referring to the thing being feared. For example, "Minä pelkään pimeää" means "I fear the dark." When the fear is directed towards a specific person or entity, the object can be in the genitive or partitive case depending on nuance. The verb is commonly used in idioms and common phrases, reflecting its importance in expressing emotions and reactions within the Finnish language. Its usage is widespread in literature, everyday conversation, and media.