Pysyäksesi

Pysyäksesi is a non-finite verb form of the Finnish verb pysyä, meaning to stay or remain. It is the present active infinitive combined with a personal ending, typically used to introduce a subordinate clause that expresses purpose or intention, with the subject usually in the second person singular (you). The form is part of the so-called infinitive with personal endings in Finnish grammar.

Morphology and related forms: The base infinitive pysyä can take several personal endings to match different subjects. Common forms include pysyäksesi (you stay), pysyäkseni (I stay), pysyäksensä (he/she stays), and pysyäksenne (you all stay). These forms function as non-finite clauses and do not themselves show a finite tense. They are used to indicate who is intended to stay in the clause introduced or to express a purpose for the action in the main clause.

Usage: Pysyäksesi is most often used to express purpose or condition in a sentence, especially after an imperative or a main verb. For example: Pysyäksesi hereillä, juo kahvia. This translates roughly as “In order for you to stay awake, drink coffee.” The construction can be used with different subjects by selecting the corresponding personal ending, or with different persons as needed.

Relation to other forms: The gerund pysymällä conveys a related meaning (staying as a manner or concurrent action) but differs in nuance and syntactic function from pysyäksesi. Pysyäksesi is thus a specialized tool in Finnish for forming purpose-oriented non-finite clauses with explicit or implicit subject reference.