Pystyäkö

Pystyä is a Finnish verb meaning to be able to or to have the ability to do something. It is commonly used with an infinitive complement: pystyä + tekemään something, for example pystyä tehdä sen (to be able to do it). The verb forms in present tense are pystyn, pystyt, pystyy, pystymme, pystytte, pystyvät.

Pystyäkö is the question-form variant used to ask about ability. The question particle -ko/-kö attaches to the verb form to indicate a yes/no question. In direct questions you typically see forms like pystynkö, pystytkö, or pystyykö, depending on the subject: Pystynkö tulla mukaan? (Can I come along?) Pystytkö tekemään sen? (Are you able to do it?) In subordinate or indirect questions, -ko/-kö can be attached to the verb stem in the infinitive or to the appropriate finite form, depending on the sentence structure, to express doubt or inquiry about possibility: En ole varma, pystynkö tekemään sen. (I’m not sure if I can do it.)

Usage notes: pystyä is more common in everyday speech than more formal synonyms like voida or kyetä. It governs an infinitive clause, so you typically see constructions such as pystyä tekemään, pystyä löytämään, etc., with the appropriate conjugation when the subject changes. The form pystyäkö is especially noted as signaling an embedded or direct question about ability, rather than a statement of capability.