houkutella

Houkutella is a Finnish verb meaning to entice, lure, or attract. It describes the act of drawing someone or something toward a person, place, event, or idea by appealing to interests or desires. The sense spans practical uses such as marketing and recruitment, as well as everyday social situations.

Usage: Common contexts include advertising, sales, and event promotion, where offers or demonstrations are intended to entice customers or participants. It also covers more generic attraction, for example inviting someone to join a group or to participate in an activity, as in phrases like houkutella mukaan. In everyday language, it can carry neutral, positive, or sometimes manipulative connotations depending on tone and context.

Grammar: Houkutella is a transitive verb. It typically takes a direct object (the thing or people being enticed) and can be used with various adjuncts to specify what is enticing and why. It forms partitive or accusative objects depending on the aspect and definiteness of the object.

Etymology: The word is native to Finnish; detailed etymological information is not widely summarized in brief references.

See also: houkutus, vedä puoleensa, houkuttelevuus, houkutteleva.