auttaa

Auttaa is a Finnish verb meaning to help or to assist. It is a transitive verb used with a person or thing that receives help. In everyday language it is more common than its formal synonym avustaa, which tends to appear in official or institutional contexts. The verb covers both general acts of aid and specific helps, as in phrases like “autan sinua” (I help you) or “auttaa jotakuta” (to help someone).

Conjugation and forms: In the present tense the forms are minä autan, sinä autat, hän auttaa, me autamme, te autatte, he auttavat. The imperfect (past) forms are minä autoin, sinä autoit, hän auttoi, me autoimme, te autoitte, he auttoivat. The conditional (would help) is minä auttaisisin, sinä auttaisit, hän auttaisi, me auttaisimme, te auttaisitte, he auttaisivat. The passive present is autetaan, meaning “is helped” or “one helps.” The perfect forms use the auxiliary olla with the past participle: olen auttanut, olet auttanut, hän on auttanut, olemme auttaneet, olette auttaneet, he ovat auttaneet. The infinitive is auttamaan; the present active participle is auttaen, and the past participle is auttanut. The imperative forms are auta (singular) and auttakaa (plural); the jussive form is auttakoon.

Usage notes: auttaa typically takes a direct object in the partitive or in a personal pronoun form, e.g., “Minä autan sinua” (I help you) or “Hän auttaa minua” (He helps me). The verb is often used with phrases denoting helping with tasks, aiding in a situation, or providing support. A common related verb is avustaa, which is slightly more formal and often found in institutional contexts.

Examples: “Minä autan sinua mielelläni.” “Hän auttoi vanhuksen kotiin.” “Autetaan näitä lapsia koulussa.”