Sytyttäkää

Sytyttäkää is the second-person plural imperative form of the Finnish verb sytyttää, meaning to light or ignite. It is used to give a direct command or request to a group to start a fire, ignite a candle, switch on a light, or otherwise cause ignition. As an imperative, it is common in instructional, safety, and everyday contexts where multiple people are addressed.

Grammatically, sytyttäkää is formed from the verb stem with the second-person plural imperative ending. The corresponding singular imperative is sytytä, and the negative imperative is älkää sytyttäkö (do not light). The form appears in written and spoken Finnish and is used across formal and informal registers when addressing several people.

Usage contexts and examples include lighting a campfire, candles, a stove, or other ignition tasks, as in "Sytyttäkää nuotio varoen" (Light the campfire carefully) or "Sytyttäkää kynttilät pöydälle" (Light the candles on the table). The verb can also refer to lighting cigarettes, though this usage is less common in formal or public settings and is subject to health and safety considerations.

Etymology and related forms: sytyttää is related to the noun sytytys (ignition, lighting) and the verb in its base form contains the root sytty-. The related verb appears in different moods and persons, such as the singular imperative sytytä and the plural imperative sytyttäkää.

Safety and usage notes: Because sytyttää concerns fire, the phrase is frequent in safety instructions and outdoor guides. It is important to follow local regulations and safety guidelines when performing ignition-related actions.