kehottaa

Ke hottaa is a Finnish verb meaning to urge, exhort, or strongly encourage someone to take a specific action. It conveys a higher degree of urgency than a simple suggestion and is common in both formal communication and everyday speech. The action urged is usually expressed with an infinitive clause (kehottaa tekemään jotakin) or with a clause introduced by että in some contexts.

As a transitive verb, kehottaa requires a target and an action to undertake. The subject is the agent issuing the urging. Examples: "Lääkäri kehottaa potilasta hakemaan apua." "Hallituksen tiedotteessa kehotetaan kansalaisia noudattamaan ohjeita."

The past tense forms include kehoitti (he/she urged) and kehotettiin (they were urged). In many contexts the present tense is used in reporting or instructions, but past tense is common in news reports and when recounting events.

Kehottaa is related to the noun kehotus, meaning an urging or prompt. It sits between neutral advice (neuvoa) and stronger coercion; it implies a recommendation that is expected to be acted upon. In translation, it is often rendered as "to urge" or "to exhort" in English, depending on context. The form is relatively formal and frequent in public communications from authorities or organizations.

Common collocations include kehottaa jotakuta tekemään jotakin, kehottaa noudattamaan ohjeita, and kehottaa hakemaan apua. The verb is versatile for directing behavior and is widely understood across Finnish registers.