In everyday spoken Finnish, people usually use the passive voice to say "let's do something." However, when you want to rally a crowd, cheer for your favorite e-sports team, or issue a formal proposal, you use the formal first-person plural imperative.
The "Let us" Suffix (-kaamme / -käämme)
To form this enthusiastic "let us" command, start with the second-person plural imperative (the command you use for a group of people, ending in -kaa or -kää) and simply add the first-person plural ending -mme.
The resulting suffix obeys vowel harmony, becoming either -kaamme or -käämme.
| Infinitive | Plural Command | "Let's" Command |
|---|---|---|
| mennä | menkää | menkäämme |
| hurrata | hurratkaa | hurratkaamme |
| juhlia | juhlikaa | juhlikaamme |
Use these forms to build excitement and direct the crowd at the arena:
| Let us go to the arena early! | Menkäämme areenalle aikaisin! |
| Let us cheer like true fans! | Hurratkaamme kuin todelliset fanit! |
Rallying the Fans
These commands are perfect for declaring your intentions as a fan base. You can attach them to any verb to call for victory, support the champion, or celebrate a trophy.
| Let us celebrate the victory and the trophy! | Juhlikaamme voittoa ja pokaalia! |
| Let us watch together when the champion plays in the final. | Katsokaamme yhdessä, kun mestari pelaa finaalissa. |
Compound Actions
Just like other imperative forms, you can string multiple first-person commands together in a single rallying cry using conjunctions like ja (and).
| Let us respect the competitors and let us bring the trophy home. | Kunnioittakaamme kilpailijoita ja tuokaamme pokaali kotiin. |
| Let us support the team to the beat of the electronic music! | Kannustakaamme joukkuetta elektronisen musiikin tahtiin! |