kannustaa

Kannustaa is a Finnish verb meaning to encourage, spur on, motivate, or cheer up someone. It encompasses giving positive reinforcement, support, or urging a person or group to take action. The verb is transitive and commonly used with an object in phrases such as can be seen in kannustaa oppilaita or kannustaa tiimiä. It can also refer to lifting someone’s spirits, as in kannustaa ystävää vaikeuksissa.

Etymology and meaning notes: kannustaa derives from the noun kannustus, which means encouragement or spur. The noun and the verb are closely linked in meaning, with kannustus serving as the source concept that the verb expresses in action.

Conjugation and usage: In present tense, forms include kannustan (I encourage), kannustat (you encourage), hän kannustaa (he/she encourages), kannustamme (we encourage), kannustatte (you all encourage), kannustavat (they encourage). The imperfect or past tense is kannusti (he/she encouraged) and kannustivat (they encouraged). The perfect tense is formed with on kannustanut (has encouraged). The imperative form is kannusta (encourage!). Passive or impersonal usage can be expressed as kannustetaan (is encouraged / one encourages).

Usage notes: Kannustaa is frequently used in education, sports, work, and community contexts to describe positive reinforcement, motivation, and support rather than coercion. It can refer to both short-term pushes to act and longer-term encouragement that sustains effort. Related terms include rohkaista and innostaa, which have similar meanings, and motivaida as a broader synonym niche. The antonym lannistaa refers to discouraging or demoralizing.

See also: rohkaista, innostaa, motivoida, lannistaa.