valehtele

Valehtele is a Finnish verb form that functions as the imperative of the verb valehdella, meaning to lie or tell falsehoods. As an imperative, valehtele is used to address a single person directly with a command or exhortation to lie. In everyday language, however, this form is rarely encountered and would typically appear in dialogue, literature, or stylized speech.

Etymology and morphology are tied to the root vale- meaning false, combined with the verbal suffixes used to form imperatives in Finnish. The concept of lying in Finnish is more commonly expressed with the verb valehdella in other moods (for example, statements about lying) or with the related noun valehtelu meaning the act of lying or deceit.

Usage notes: Because commanding someone to lie is unusual in ordinary discourse, valehtele is not a common everyday expression. The standard way to refer to lying in general is with the infinitive valehdella or with phrases like älä valehtele (“don’t lie”) when giving negative instructions. The noun form valehtelu is used to discuss lying as a habit or phenomenon.

See also: Valehdella; Valehtelu; Valhe (lie, falsehood).

Valehtele therefore represents a specific verb form within Finnish to express an imperative meaning tied to the act of lying, but it remains largely linguistic interest rather than a staple in common speech.