B1 Collocation Neutral

tehdä seuraa

to keep company

Significado

To stay with someone.

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Contexto cultural

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.

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The 'Sulle' Shortcut

In casual Finnish, always say 'Mä teen sulle seuraa' instead of the formal 'Minä teen sinulle seuraa'.

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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.

Significado

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.

Ponte a prueba

Fill in the missing word in the correct case.

Voin tulla tekemään sinulle _______.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: seuraa

The idiom always uses the partitive form 'seuraa'.

Which sentence is correct?

How do you say 'He kept me company'?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Hän teki minulle seuraa.

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.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Voin tehdä sinulle seuraa.

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 _______?'

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: teen sinulle seuraa

The standard form for offering companionship.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Ayudas visuales

Tehdä Seuraa vs. Seurustella

Tehdä Seuraa
Platonic Friends/Family
Short term Waiting for bus
Seurustella
Romantic Dating
Long term In a relationship

Banco de ejercicios

4 ejercicios
Fill in the missing word in the correct case. Fill Blank B1

Voin tulla tekemään sinulle _______.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: seuraa

The idiom always uses the partitive form 'seuraa'.

Which sentence is correct? Choose A2

How do you say 'He kept me company'?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Hän teki minulle seuraa.

The recipient of the company is in the allative case (-lle).

Match the phrase to the situation. situation_matching B1

You see a friend waiting alone at a bus stop.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: Voin tehdä sinulle seuraa.

This is the most natural and polite offer in this context.

Complete the dialogue. dialogue_completion B1

A: 'Oletko yksin kotona?' B: 'Joo, on vähän tylsää.' A: 'Haluatko, että _______?'

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: teen sinulle seuraa

The standard form for offering companionship.

🎉 Puntuación: /4

Preguntas frecuentes

12 preguntas

Yes! 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.

Frases relacionadas

🔄

pitää seuraa

synonym

To keep company

🔗

viettää aikaa

similar

To spend time

🔗

seurustella

specialized form

To date or socialize

🔗

hengailla

informal

To hang out

🔗

olla seurana

similar

To be as company

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