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Älä mene alueelle ilman lupaa.

Älä mene alueelle ilman lupaa.
Do not go into the area without permission.
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Questions & Answers about Älä mene alueelle ilman lupaa.

What does Älä mean, and how do you form negative commands in Finnish?

Älä is the negative imperative marker for the 2nd person singular in Finnish. It corresponds to “don’t” in English. To form a negative command:

  • Use älä
    • the 2nd person singular imperative of the verb.
  • The 2nd person singular imperative is formed by taking the verb stem and adding -e (for most verbs).
    Example:
    • Verb infinitive: mennä (to go)
    • Imperative (you): mene
    • Negative: Älä mene = “Don’t go.”
Why is the verb mene in this form?

Mene is the 2nd person singular positive imperative of mennä (“to go”). In a negative command, the same imperative form follows älä. Formation steps:

  1. Take the infinitive mennä.
  2. Drop -dä, leaving the stem men-.
  3. Add -e → mene.
    Thus Älä mene literally means “Don’t go.”
What case is alueelle, and why is it used here?

Alueelle is in the illative case, which indicates movement into or onto something.

  • Base noun: alue (area)
  • Illative ending: -lle
    Result: alueelle = “to/into (the) area.”
    So “Mene alueelle” = “Go to the area,” and “Älä mene alueelle” = “Don’t go to the area.”
Why is ilman lupaa used, and why is lupaa in the partitive case?

Ilman means “without.” It always governs a noun in the partitive when expressing absence or lack.

  • Base noun: lupa (permission)
  • Partitive form: lupaa
    So ilman lupaa = “without permission.”
    Combined: Älä mene alueelle ilman lupaa = “Don’t go to the area without permission.”
Why are there no articles like “the” or “a” in this sentence?

Finnish does not have definite or indefinite articles. Nouns stand alone, and context or case endings convey specificity.

  • alueelle can mean “to an area” or “to the area.”
  • lupaa can mean “permission” in general or “the permission” you need.
Can I change the word order in this sentence for emphasis?

Yes. Finnish word order is flexible because case endings show grammatical roles. You can front-load elements for focus:

  • Ilman lupaa, älä mene alueelle. (Emphasizes “without permission.”)
  • Alueelle älä mene ilman lupaa. (Less common, but possible for stylistic reasons.)
    The neutral order remains Älä mene alueelle ilman lupaa.