mennään

Mennään is a Finnish verb form derived from mennä, meaning “to go.” In everyday use it is the present tense form in the passive voice and functions as a common way to propose an action together with others. In English, it most often translates to “let’s go” or, depending on context, a neutral “we go.”

Grammatically, mennään is the first person plural form in the passive mood. The subject is typically omitted or indefinite, which allows the sentence to act as an invitation or a general statement about going somewhere. Because it is passive, the speaker does not specify who is performing the action; the focus is on the action itself and the inclusion of the listener(s).

Usage notes include that mennään can stand alone as a spontaneous invitation, especially in informal speech: for example, Mennään kahville (Let’s go for coffee). It also appears with directions or plans: Mennään elokuvaan (Let’s go to the cinema) or Mennään huomenna (We’re going tomorrow / Let’s go tomorrow). In questions, the form changes to Mennäänkö? to ask “Shall we go?” or “Are we going?”

Etymologically, mennään comes from the verb mennä, with the passive present suffix -ään, which yields a general or inclusive meaning rather than a specific, active subject. The phrase is a staple of Finnish conversation and a primary example of how Finnish uses the passive voice for inclusive imperatives.