pystyttekö

Pystyttekö is a Finnish interrogative form of the verb pystyä, meaning are you able to or can you. It is used to ask a group of people (second-person plural) about their ability to perform an action. The singular equivalent is pystytkö, used when addressing one person informally.

The form combines the 2nd person plural present tense of pystyä, pystytte, with the question particle -kö, giving pystytteko or pystyttekö in standard spelling. The following verb is usually in its infinitive or bare form, for example: Pystyttetekö hakemaan tämän? or Pystyttekö odottamaan minua kymmenen minuuttia? The construction focuses on capability rather than permission.

Usage and nuance: Pystyttekö is common in everyday Finnish for requesting that a group carry out a task. It is relatively neutral and can come across as direct in some contexts. In more formal or more courteous settings, speakers might opt for voitteko or voisitteko to soften the request or to sound more polite.

Examples:

- Pystyttetekö odottamaan minua kymmenen minuuttia? Can you wait for me ten minutes?"

- Pystyttetekö auttaa tämän kanssa? Could you help with this?

Translations and limits: Pystyttekö expresses ability in the present and is not primarily used to issue permission. For permission, Finnish often uses different forms such as saatteko or voitteko, depending on politeness and context.