sytytää

Sytytä is the imperative form of the Finnish verb sytyttää, which means to light or ignite something. The verb sytyttää is the causative of syttyä, meaning to catch fire or ignite by oneself; therefore sytyttää translates as to cause something to burn or to light it. In everyday language, sytytä is used when giving a direct command, for example, sytytä kynttilä means Light the candle.

Grammatical notes indicate that sytytä is the second-person singular imperative. The corresponding plural or formal imperative is sytyttäkää. The verb’s past tense forms include sytytin (I lit) and sytytit (you lit). As a root form, sytyttää is related to syttyä, the intransitive form meaning to catch fire.

Usage and nuance: The literal sense covers lighting fires, candles, stoves, and similar objects. Metaphorically, Finnish speakers sometimes extend the idea of lighting to arousing interest or passion, using related constructions with syttyä or figurative uses of the causative, though more common expressions for arousal use other verbs or phrases.

See also:

- Finnish language

- Verbs of lighting and ignition

- Syttyä (to catch fire)