Bedeutung
Coming to a conclusion.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Finns value 'päätöksentekokyky' (the ability to make decisions). A person who cannot decide is often seen as 'jahkailija' (a ditherer), which is not a compliment. In meetings, the person with the highest authority usually 'päättää' the meeting, but only after a consensus is reached. Silence is a sign of thinking, not disagreement. The decision to become independent in 1917 is often referred to as 'itsenäisyyspäätös'. It is a sacred use of the word. Finnish apps use 'Päätä' or 'Valmis' to signify the end of a process, reflecting the 'concluding' sense of the verb.
The 'tt' Rule
Remember that the 'tt' becomes 't' when you conjugate it for 'minä', 'sinä', 'me', and 'te'. This is called consonant gradation.
Don't stop!
Don't use 'päättää' to mean 'stop doing something'. That's always 'lopettaa'.
Bedeutung
Coming to a conclusion.
The 'tt' Rule
Remember that the 'tt' becomes 't' when you conjugate it for 'minä', 'sinä', 'me', and 'te'. This is called consonant gradation.
Don't stop!
Don't use 'päättää' to mean 'stop doing something'. That's always 'lopettaa'.
Silence is Golden
If a Finn is silent after you ask them to decide, don't repeat the question. They are just 'päättämässä'.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of 'päättää'.
Minä ______ ostaa uuden puhelimen eilen.
The sentence refers to 'eilen' (yesterday), so the past tense first-person singular 'päätin' is required.
Which sentence is correct?
Choose the correct way to end a meeting.
'Päättää' is the standard verb for formally concluding a meeting, and 'kokouksen' is the correct accusative object.
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are at a cafe and don't know what to order.
'En osaa päättää' means 'I can't decide', which is perfect for this situation.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Milloin muutatte? B: Emme ole vielä ______ päivämäärää.
The sentence uses the perfect tense 'emme ole... päättäneet' (we haven't decided).
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMinä ______ ostaa uuden puhelimen eilen.
The sentence refers to 'eilen' (yesterday), so the past tense first-person singular 'päätin' is required.
Choose the correct way to end a meeting.
'Päättää' is the standard verb for formally concluding a meeting, and 'kokouksen' is the correct accusative object.
You are at a cafe and don't know what to order.
'En osaa päättää' means 'I can't decide', which is perfect for this situation.
A: Milloin muutatte? B: Emme ole vielä ______ päivämäärää.
The sentence uses the perfect tense 'emme ole... päättäneet' (we haven't decided).
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenYes, you can say 'Hän päätti suhteen' (He ended the relationship), but it sounds very formal and final.
'Päättää' is the mental process of deciding. 'Valita' is the physical or specific act of picking one option.
It is a Type 1 verb that undergoes strong/weak gradation (tt/t).
You say 'Olen päättänyt'.
Yes, in legal contexts like 'päättää sopimus' (to terminate a contract).
Because the 'head' is the end or the extremity of something; reaching the head means reaching the conclusion.
It can be slightly impatient, like saying 'Decide already!' Use it only with friends.
Usually the partitive (jotakin) or the accusative (jonkin) depending on the completeness of the decision.
No, use 'ratkaista' for solving problems.
In speech, 'päättää' is more common. In writing, 'tehdä päätös' is very frequent.
Verwandte Redewendungen
tehdä päätös
similarto make a decision
lyödä lukkoon
informalto lock in / finalize
ratkaista
similarto solve / settle
valita
similarto choose
päättyä
builds onto end (intransitive)
