käskysanan

Käskysana, in Finnish grammar sometimes discussed as käskysanan, is the form of a verb used to express a command, instruction, or request. The feature is known as the imperative mood. In ordinary speech the subject is usually omitted, with the understood subject being you (singular or plural). The term is used when talking about the form itself, not a specific sentence.

In practice, the imperative is most commonly made for the second person. Examples of singular imperatives include ota (take), tee (do/make), and ole (be). Plural imperatives include ottakaa (take, you plural), tehkää (do), and olkaa (be). The negative imperative is formed with the prohibitive particle älä for singular and älkää for plural, followed by the imperative form, as in älä odota (don’t wait) and älkää odottako (don’t wait, plural).

Finnish also has a so‑called “let’s” form, a hortative or inclusive me form, used to propose an action together with the listener. A common example is mennään (let’s go), which is used to suggest a shared course of action.

Usage and style: Käskysana structures are prominent in directions, manuals, recipes, signs, and user interfaces, where concise, direct action is required. They can appear alone or with objects, adverbs, or other modifiers. Variants and irregularities reflect the verb’s class and phonology, but the overarching function remains issuing an instruction or request.