Bedeutung
To stay with someone.
Kultureller Hintergrund
In Finland, 'tehdä seuraa' does not require talking. Being in the same room while doing different things is a valid form of companionship. It is common to ask to 'tehdä seuraa' during lunch breaks if you see someone sitting alone, even if you don't know them well. There is a strong cultural emphasis on 'making company' for the elderly, often seen as a moral duty for younger relatives. On Finnish Instagram/TikTok, you might see 'seuraa tekemässä' as a caption for a photo of a pet or a friend.
The 'Sulle' Shortcut
In casual Finnish, always say 'Mä teen sulle seuraa' instead of the formal 'Minä teen sinulle seuraa'.
Don't say 'Pidä seuraa'
While 'pitää seuraa' is okay, 'Pidä seuraa!' as a command can sound a bit demanding. Use 'Viitsisitkö tehdä seuraa?' instead.
Bedeutung
To stay with someone.
The 'Sulle' Shortcut
In casual Finnish, always say 'Mä teen sulle seuraa' instead of the formal 'Minä teen sinulle seuraa'.
Don't say 'Pidä seuraa'
While 'pitää seuraa' is okay, 'Pidä seuraa!' as a command can sound a bit demanding. Use 'Viitsisitkö tehdä seuraa?' instead.
Silence is Gold
Don't feel pressured to talk while 'making company'. Just being there is enough for most Finns.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word in the correct case.
Voin tulla tekemään sinulle _______.
The idiom always uses the partitive form 'seuraa'.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'He kept me company'?
The recipient of the company is in the allative case (-lle).
Match the phrase to the situation.
You see a friend waiting alone at a bus stop.
This is the most natural and polite offer in this context.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 'Oletko yksin kotona?' B: 'Joo, on vähän tylsää.' A: 'Haluatko, että _______?'
The standard form for offering companionship.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Tehdä Seuraa vs. Seurustella
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenVoin tulla tekemään sinulle _______.
The idiom always uses the partitive form 'seuraa'.
How do you say 'He kept me company'?
The recipient of the company is in the allative case (-lle).
You see a friend waiting alone at a bus stop.
This is the most natural and polite offer in this context.
A: 'Oletko yksin kotona?' B: 'Joo, on vähän tylsää.' A: 'Haluatko, että _______?'
The standard form for offering companionship.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
12 FragenYes! You can say 'Koira tekee minulle seuraa' (The dog keeps me company). It's very common.
Both are correct and interchangeable. 'Tehdä' is slightly more common in spoken language.
It is the partitive case. You must use it because companionship is an uncountable concept.
Not really. It sounds too casual. Use 'osallistua kokoukseen' (participate in the meeting) instead.
You can say 'Kiitos, viihdyn hyvin yksinkin' (Thanks, I enjoy being alone too).
Not by itself. It's mostly platonic. For romance, use 'seurustella'.
Yes, it means keeping yourself company, often by doing a hobby.
It's neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
There isn't a direct opposite idiom, but 'jättää yksin' (to leave alone) is the functional opposite.
Yes, you can say 'Teen seuraa vain hetken' (I'll keep company for just a moment).
Because that means you are legally registering a new club or society.
Yes, it is a standard idiom used everywhere from Helsinki to Lapland.
Verwandte Redewendungen
pitää seuraa
synonymTo keep company
viettää aikaa
similarTo spend time
seurustella
specialized formTo date or socialize
hengailla
informalTo hang out
olla seurana
similarTo be as company
