Äänestämme

Äänestämme is the first-person plural present indicative form of the Finnish verb äänestää, meaning to vote. It is used when the speaker refers to a group that includes themselves performing the action, for example in elections or in committee decisions. In Finnish the present tense forms are: minä äänestän, sinä äänestät, hän äänestää, me äänestämme, te äänestätte, he äänestävät. The negative form is en äänestä, et äänestä, ei äänestä, emme äänestä, ette äänestä, eivät äänestä. The infinitive is äänestää. Related noun forms include äänestys, the act of voting, and äänestäminen, the process of voting.

Etymology and usage context: the verb is tied to the noun ääni (voice, sound) and to äänet (votes). Historically, voting involved vocal expression, and the term äänestää reflects this origin. In modern Finnish, äänestää covers both political elections and other decision-making contexts where participants express a choice, such as deciding between options in a meeting or survey.

Examples of use: Me äänestämme seuraavissa vaaleissa. (We will vote in the upcoming elections.) Me äänestämme ehdokkaan X puolesta. (We vote for candidate X.) The form äänestämme signals that the group including the speaker is taking part in the act of voting.