eivät

Eivät is a Finnish word used to negate clauses with plural subjects. It is the plural form of the negative verb ei, which is conjugated to agree with the subject persons: en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät. In practice, eivät precede the main verb to express that the subject (they) performs the negated action or state.

The typical structure in present tense is subject + eivät + main verb in its present tense form. Examples include: He eivät tule. They do not come. He eivät ole valmiita. They are not ready. He eivät ole tehneet mitään. They have not done anything. The same form also governs other tenses when combined with the appropriate auxiliary or participle, for instance: He eivät ole asuneet täällä pitkään. They have not lived here long.

Eivät contrasts with ei, which is used with singular subjects. For a singular subject you would say: Hän ei tule. Hän ei ole täällä. The distinction between ei and eivät is purely grammatical and depends on the subject number.

Notes on usage: eivät is used in both formal and informal Finnish whenever the subject is plural. In written Finnish, ei/eivät align with standard Finnish grammar, and the negative verb form remains before the main verb, modifying it according to tense and mood. Although Finnish negation can appear in various syntactic positions, eivät consistently marks negation for plural subjects, ensuring clarity about who is performing or withholding the action.