pitäisi

pitäisi is a Finnish auxiliary verb commonly used to express recommendation, obligation, or speculation, corresponding roughly to the English modal “should” or “ought to.” It is the conditional mood of the verb pitää, which in its basic form can mean “to have to,” “to be necessary,” or “to like.” In the conditional, pitäisi conveys a softer, non‑imperative sense of duty or advisability, often implying that the speaker is suggesting rather than commanding.

Morphologically, pitäisi consists of the stem pitää followed by the conditional suffix ‑isi. The form is invariant with respect to person and number, so it is used with any subject without further inflection. Typical constructions place pitäisi before the infinitive of the main verb, for example: “Sinun pitäisi lähteä” (You should leave) or “Meidän pitäisi tarkistaa tiedot” (We ought to check the data).

In Finnish, pitäisi can also appear in impersonal constructions where the subject is omitted, as in “Pitäisi olla vähemmän melua” (There should be less noise). This use highlights the modal nature of the word, allowing speakers to express general expectations or societal norms.

While similar in meaning to the imperative form pitää (as in “Pidä huoli”) and the verb täytyy (expressing a stronger, more objective necessity), pitäisi remains distinct for its conditional and discretionary nuance. It is frequently employed in polite requests, advice, and hypothetical statements, making it a central element of Finnish modal expression.