pystyisin

Pystyisin is a Finnish verb form that expresses hypothetical ability in the first person singular. It is the conditional mood of the verb pystyä, which means to be able to or to manage. In use, pystyisin conveys “I would be able to” or “I could,” typically referring to a situation that is not certain or depends on conditions.

In Finnish, the conditional forms are built from the verb stem and the conditional suffixes. For pystyä, the first person singular conditional is pystyisin. Other persons use forms such as pystyisit (you could), pystyisi (he/she/it could), pystyisimme (we could), pystyisitte (you could, plural), and pystyisivät (they could). The negative form is en pystyisi, et pystyisi, hän ei pystyisi, and so on. Finnish grammar often allows omitting the subject, so pystyisin can stand alone in a sentence.

Usage notes include that pystyisin is commonly followed by another verb in the infinitive with the appropriate mood, for example pystyisin auttamaan sinua (I could help you) or pystyisin lukemaan tämän kirjan, jos minulla olisi aikaa (I could read this book if I had time). It is often used in conditional clauses introduced by jos, or in statements describing a possible capability under certain conditions. It can also be used to politely soften a statement about capability, and in questions like Pystyisinkö auttamaan sinua? (Could I help you?).

Pystyisin contrasts with past tense forms like pystyin, which means “I was able to,” indicating a completed capability. Related terms include the verb pystyä (to be able to) and words denoting ability or capability in Finnish.