älkööt
Finnish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈælkøːt/, [ˈælkø̞ːt̪]
- Hyphenation: äl‧kööt
Verb
älkööt
- (dated) The third-person plural form of the negation verb in imperative, may they not.
- Juoskoot! (“May they run!”) → Älkööt juosko! (“May they not run!”)
Usage notes
- Älkööt is used with a connegative form of the main verb, ending with -ko/-kö, identical to the form used with third-person singular, first-person plural and second-person plural.
- This form is quite often confused with älköön, which is the third-person singular form.
- The third person plural of the negative imperative is nowadays a bit old-fashioned so it, primarily, pertains to ceremonious, very formal, archaic, poetic or religious contexts – i.e., positive imperative of this person (Juoskoot!) is, as the speaker's subjective wish, more common than the negative (Älkööt juosko!).
Conjugation
- The negation verb has no infinitive form.
- Indicative, conditional and potential moods use the indicative forms (stem e-), for which the verb is conjugated only in person.
- In the imperative mood the negation verb has the stem äl-.
- An archaic optative mood exists and is used mainly in poetry.
person indicative mood imperative mood optative mood 1st sing. en (älkääni, älkäämi) (ällön) 2nd sing. et älä (ällös) 3rd sing. ei älköön (älköön) 1st plur. emme älkäämme (älköömme) 2nd plur. ette älkää (älköötte) 3rd plur. eivät älkööt (älkööt)