Työskenteliköön

Työskenteliköön is a Finnish word that functions as a third-person singular optative verb form of the verb "työskennellä," meaning "to work." The optative mood in Finnish expresses a wish, a desire, or a command. Therefore, "työskenteliköön" translates to "may he/she/it work," or in a more imperative sense, "let him/her/it work."

This grammatical form is not commonly used in everyday spoken Finnish but is more likely to be encountered in formal writing, literature, or in older texts. It conveys a sense of wishing for a particular action to happen, or a gentle but firm directive. For example, one might see it in a phrase like "Olkoon hän terve ja työskenteliköön!" which means "May he be healthy and may he work!"

The optative mood is a distinctive feature of Finnish grammar, and "työskenteliköön" is one of its manifestations. While the present tense and conditional forms of verbs are more prevalent in modern Finnish, understanding the optative provides insight into the nuances of the language and its expressive capabilities. It highlights how Finnish can subtly convey different intentions and attitudes through verb conjugation.