pystyy

Pystyy is the third-person singular present indicative form of the Finnish verb pystyä, which means to be able to or to be capable of. It denotes an ability or a possibility in the present tense and is commonly used in everyday speech.

In practical use, pystyä is followed by an infinitive or a clause that describes the action one can perform. Examples include: Hän pystyy juoksemaan viisi kilometriä (He can/run five kilometers), Se pystyy ratkaisemaan ongelman (It can resolve the problem), and Hän pystyy tekemään sen tänään (She/He can do it today). The negative form appears as ei pysty, as in Hän ei pysty tulemaan tänne (He cannot come here).

Grammatically, pystyy is part of the broader Finnish conjugation of pystyä. The present tense forms are minä pystyn, sinä pystyt, hän pystyy, me pystymme, te pystytte, he pystyvät. The past tense forms include pystyin, pystyit, pystyi, pystymme, pystytte, pystyivät. The verb is commonly used with infinitives to express capability across various contexts, from physical ability to cognitive or situational feasibility.

Pystyy can convey both actual capability and potential possibility depending on conditions, such as effort, resources, or external constraints. It is a frequent component of everyday Finnish, used across formal and informal registers to discuss what someone is able to do at a given time.

See also: Finnish verbs, pystyä, modal constructions in Finnish.