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Questions & Answers about Menemme puistoon juoksemaan.
Do I need to say the pronoun with Menemme, or is me menemme better?
The ending -mme already means “we,” so Menemme is complete. Me menemme is also correct but adds emphasis to “we” (e.g., not someone else).
Why is it puistoon and not puistossa?
- puistoon = illative case “into the park” (movement toward/into a place).
- puistossa = inessive case “in the park” (being inside a place).
With a motion verb like mennä, you use the illative: mennä puistoon.
How is puistoon formed from puisto?
It’s the illative: double the final vowel and add -n.
- puisto → puistoon
- Other examples: talo → taloon, koti → kotiin.
What exactly is juoksemaan?
It’s the illative of the third infinitive (the -ma/-mä infinitive): stem juoksema- + -an → juoksemaan. After verbs like mennä, this form expresses purpose: “go somewhere in order to run.”
Why not just say juoksemme or the basic form juosta?
- juoksemme = “we run/are running,” not purpose.
- juosta isn’t used for purpose after mennä. Finnish prefers the third infinitive illative: mennä juoksemaan (“go to run”).
Which verbs commonly take this -maan/-mään purpose construction?
Common ones include movement or change-of-state verbs:
- mennä syömään, tulla kysymään, lähteä uimaan, jäädä lukemaan, poiketa ostamaan maitoa.
It conveys “to do X (purpose).”
Why is it juoksemaan and not juoksemään?
Vowel harmony. juosta has back vowels (u, o, a), so the suffix uses -a-: -maan → juoksemaan. With front vowels you’d get -mään (e.g., syödä → syömään).
Can I change the word order?
Yes, within limits:
- Neutral: Menemme puistoon juoksemaan.
- Emphasizing the activity/place: Menemme juoksemaan puistossa (explicitly “run in the park”).
- Contrastive focus: Juoksemaan menemme puistoon.
- Menemme juoksemaan puistoon can be read as “go in order to run into the park,” which can sound odd unless that direction is intended.
Can I omit the destination and just say we’re going running?
Yes: Menemme juoksemaan. That means “We’re going running,” with no place specified.
How do I say “Let’s go to the park to run”?
Use the colloquial 1st-person passive for suggestions: Mennään puistoon juoksemaan.
You can also say: Lähdetään puistoon juoksemaan.
How do I negate it?
Emme mene puistoon juoksemaan.
If you mean “We are not on our way to the park to run,” say: Emme ole menossa puistoon juoksemaan.
How do I make it a yes–no question?
Attach the question clitic -ko/-kö to the verb: Mennemmekö puistoon juoksemaan?
Suggestion form: Mennäänkö puistoon juoksemaan?
Is this present or future?
Finnish present also covers near future. Menemme puistoon juoksemaan can mean “We are going” or “We will go,” depending on context. Add a time word for clarity: Huomenna menemme puistoon juoksemaan.
What’s the difference between juoksemaan and juoksemassa?
- juoksemaan (illative) = purpose/into doing: “to go run.”
- juoksemassa (inessive) = in the middle of doing: Olemme juoksemassa puistossa (“We are out running in the park”).
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