tehdä
Wordform Details
Translation: to doto make
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
firstinfinitiveIs Dictionary Form: Yes
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: tehdä
Translation: to do; to make; to perform; to create; to produce (verb)
Etymology: From Proto-Finnic *teke-, from Proto-Uralic *teke-. This is one of the most fundamental verbs in Finnish, with cognates in related Finno-Ugric languages. Unlike many Finnish words, it has no Indo-European cognates, highlighting its ancient Uralic roots. The verb represents one of the core concepts in human activity - the act of making or doing something.
Example Usage
Mitä sinä teet?
What are you doing?
Teen ruokaa.
I'm making food.
Hän tekee hyvää työtä.
He/she does good work.
Teimme sopimuksen.
We made an agreement.
Tee se nyt!
Do it now!
Hän tekee kovasti töitä.
He/she works hard (literally: does work hard).
Tehdään se yhdessä!
Let's do it together!
Tein virheen.
I made a mistake.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'tehdä' as 'to do' - both start with 't' and are about action.
- The 'h' in 'tehdä' can remind you of 'hands' which you use to make or do things.
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
One of the most frequently used verbs in Finnish. It appears in numerous idioms and expressions. The concept of 'doing' or 'making' is central to Finnish culture, which values productivity and craftsmanship. The verb 'tehdä' reflects this cultural emphasis on action and creation.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'tehdä' means 'to do/make', 'tietää' means 'to know'. They look similar but have completely different meanings and conjugations.
Confused word:
Tiedän vastauksen.
I know the answer.
Notes: Both are common, essential verbs in Finnish but with distinct meanings in the domains of action versus knowledge.
Mnemonic: 'Tehdä' has 'h' for 'hands-on' (doing), while 'tietää' has 'tie' which sounds like 'tea' - imagine knowing how to make tea.
Explanation: 'Tehty' is actually the past passive participle of 'tehdä', meaning 'done' or 'made'. It's not a separate verb but a form of 'tehdä'.
Confused word:
Tämä on jo tehty.
This is already done.
Notes: Understanding the relationship between 'tehdä' and its participle 'tehty' helps grasp Finnish verb conjugation patterns.
Mnemonic: 'Tehty' ends with 'y' like 'ready' - when something is 'tehty', it's ready because it's done.