varoitellaanko

Varoitellaanko is a Finnish verb form meaning “shall we warn” or “should we issue a warning.” It is the first-person plural present interrogative form of varoitella, which means to warn or caution someone. The form is built by taking the verb stem varoitella and adding the question ending -anko, a common Finnish device for forming yes–no questions from verbs. The result is a neutral, collaborative way to propose a warning.

In use, varoitellaanko is common in informal spoken Finnish when the speaker wants to propose warning someone about a risk, a potential problem, or an upcoming consequence. It conveys cooperation and avoids giving a directive. In more formal registers, speakers may choose alternatives such as varoittakaamme tästä or varoitammeko tästä, which carry a similar meaning but with different tones.

Examples include:

- Varoitellaanko tästä eteenpäin? — Shall we warn about this from now on?

- Varoitellaanko heille riskistä ennen kuin he lähtevät? — Shall we warn them about the risk before they go?

The form is versatile and can attach to other topics or objects, such as varoitellaanko tästä or varoitellaanko tämän suhteen, allowing speakers to tailor the warning proposal to the situation. As a linguistic feature, varoitellaanko illustrates Finnish tendency to form yes–no questions directly on the verb stem with the -anko/-kö suffix, signaling speaker intention and inclusivity.