Learn Hardcore Finnish: Älä pelkää, silta on turvallinen.

Älä is the 2nd person singular negative imperative of the auxiliary verb ei. It’s how Finnish says don’t (you). In a negative imperative, the main verb appears in its connegative form: Älä + pelkää = Don’t be afraid.

Why is it pelkää and not pelkäät?

After Älä (negative imperative), the main verb uses the connegative form, which has no personal ending. The normal affirmative present 2nd person singular would be pelkäät, but with Älä it becomes pelkää. It happens to look the same as the 3rd person singular present, but Älä tells you it’s an imperative.

How do I say this to more than one person?

Use the 2nd person plural imperative: Älkää pelätkö, silta on turvallinen.

Älkää = don’t (you all).
pelätkö is the negative imperative form for plural; the ending -ko/‑kö here is part of the imperative, not a question marker.
Affirmative 2nd person plural imperative would be Pelätkää!

What is the infinitive of pelkää, and why does a k appear?

The infinitive is pelätä. This verb shows a stem alternation (consonant gradation) where the stem has k in strong forms: minä pelkään, hän pelkää, but the infinitive shows no k: pelätä. It’s a lexical pattern you learn with this verb.

Could I say Älä pelkää siltaa to mean Don’t be afraid of the bridge?

Yes. pelätä takes its object typically in the partitive:

Älä pelkää siltaa.
Pelkään hämähäkkejä. Without an object, pelätä means to be afraid in general: Älä pelkää.

Why is there a comma between the clauses?

Finnish commonly separates two closely related main clauses with a comma: Älä pelkää, silta on turvallinen. A period is also fine: Älä pelkää. Silta on turvallinen.

Why is silta in basic form with no article, when English has “the bridge”?

Finnish has no articles. Specificity comes from context, word order, or demonstratives. Silta on turvallinen naturally conveys the bridge is safe (the known one from context). If you want to point to a specific one, you can use a demonstrative: Se silta on turvallinen (that bridge is safe).

Why is it turvallinen and not turvallista?

With olla and a countable singular subject in the nominative, predicative adjectives are nominative and agree in number: silta (nom. sg.) → turvallinen (nom. sg.).
turvallista (partitive) is used in impersonal sentences: On turvallista ylittää silta (it is safe to cross the bridge), not with a specific nominative subject.

Can I swap the clause order?

Yes. Silta on turvallinen, älä pelkää is fine and means the same. You can also write two sentences: Älä pelkää. Silta on turvallinen.

How do I pronounce the ä and the long ää in pelkää?

ä is a front vowel, like the a in English “cat.”
ää is long; hold it about twice as long: pelkää [PEL-kæː].
Stress is always on the first syllable: Älä PEL-kää, SIL-ta on TUR-val-li-nen.

Could I use koska (because) instead of the comma?

You can: Älä pelkää, koska silta on turvallinen. The comma-only version is very natural and succinct in Finnish; adding koska just makes the cause explicit.

Is an exclamation mark required after Älä pelkää?

No. Punctuation is stylistic. Älä pelkää, silta on turvallinen is perfectly fine without it, though Älä pelkää! is common in more urgent or speech-like writing.

What is the role of on here?

on is the 3rd person singular present of olla (to be): silta on turvallinen = the bridge is safe.

How would I say It’s safe on the bridge?

Use an impersonal structure with the adessive: Sillalla on turvallista. This uses the partitive predicative turvallista to state a general condition.

What’s the difference between pelätä and pelottaa?

pelätä = to fear, to be afraid: Pelkään, Älä pelkää.
pelottaa = to frighten / to feel scared (it frightens someone): Minua pelottaa (I feel scared). You can’t say Älä pelottaa; to tell someone not to be scared, say Älä pelkää.