ymmärtääksesi

Ymmärtääksesi is a Finnish verb form meaning "in order for you to understand" or "so that you understand." It is a 2nd infinitive form built from the verb ymmärtää (to understand) with a personal suffix that marks the intended subject. The form is used to express purpose within a sentence, typically in written or formal Finnish.

Formation and function

The structure combines the verb stem with the second infinitive ending and a possessive suffix that indicates the person. Ymmärtääksesi explicitly refers to the second person singular you. In practice, it is used to state the aim of an action, for example when giving instructions or explanations: Lue ohjeet ymmärtääksesi, miten järjestelmä toimii. This translates roughly as “Read the instructions so that you understand how the system works.” The form is more common in formal, instructional, or expository writing and is less frequent in casual spoken Finnish, where options like jotta + verb or other constructions are more common.

Related forms

Finnish has analogous forms for other persons, such as ymmärtääkseni (for me to understand) and similar constructions that express purposes for different personal subjects. These 2nd infinitive forms with personal suffixes are part of a broader system used to indicate purpose without repeating a subject explicitly.

Usage notes

Ymmärtääksesi is versatile for clarifying intent but can sound formal. It is generally suitable in manuals, educational texts, and written explanations. In everyday speech, speakers may opt for simpler purpose clauses or subordinate clauses with jotta or jotta+ verb.