leikkiä

Leikkiä is a Finnish verb meaning to play. It refers to engaging in play or games, or to act in a playful or pretend manner. The infinitive leikkiä is derived from the noun leikki, which means play or game.

In everyday use, leikkiä describes both children's play and adults' playful activities, such as role-playing, games, or improvisation. Examples include sentences like "Lapset leikkivät ulkona" (The children are playing outside) and "Hän leikkii roolipelejä ystäviensä kanssa" (He/she plays role-playing games with friends). The verb is conjugated for person and number; for example, minä leikin (I play) and hän leikkii (he/she plays).

Form and related words: leikkiä is a Type I Finnish verb ending in -ä in the infinitive. Its present stems produce forms such as leikin, leikit, leikkii, and the past tense forms follow standard Finnish patterns. The noun leikki refers to the activity itself, and the related present participle leikkivä means "playing."

Usage and context: leikkiä is a core part of everyday Finnish and appears in education, parenting, and culture. Play is often seen as a means of learning and social development in early childhood, and Finnish discourse frequently emphasizes the importance of play in development and creativity.

See also leikki, roolipelit, pelit.