käydä

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *käüdäk, from Proto-Germanic *skēwja- (compare Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌴𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (skēwjan), Old Norse skæva).^[1] Cognates include Estonian käima.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkæy̯dæˣ/
• Hyphenation: käy‧dä

Verb

käydä

1. (intransitive, of a clock) to go
2. (intransitive, of time) to go by
3. (intransitive, archaic) to walk; now the frequentative derivative kävellä (“to walk”) is used instead.

   käyden

   on foot (as an old synonym to jalan)

   käypä

   one who walks (archaic)

4. (intransitive) to step

   käy peremmälle!

   come on in! (lit. "step further to the back")

5. (intransitive, + inessive or adessive) to visit, go to (and return), attend (a place)

   Kävin eilen Madridissa.

   I visited Madrid yesterday.

   Milloin tulet käymään luonamme?

   When will you visit us?

   käydä kirkossa, sunnuntaijumalanpalveluksessa

   to attend church, the Sunday service.

   Tänään meidän pitää käydä kaupassa.

   We must go to the grocery store today.

   Odota hetki, käyn vessassa.

   Wait a moment while I go to the toilet.

6. (intransitive, + adessive) to go do

   Mennään käymään kahvilla.

   Let's go get some coffee.

   Osaako pikku-Pekka käydä itse kakalla?

   Is little Pekka able to go poo by himself?

7. (intransitive, + partitive) or (transitive, + accusative), depending on the completeness of the action: to go to school

   Käyn lukiota.

   I'm attending high school.

   Kävin lukion Jyväskylässä.

   I went to high school in Jyväskylä.

   Kävin kaksi vuotta lukiota.

   I was in high school for two years.

8. (intransitive, monopersonal, inessive or adessive + 3rd-pers. sg. + an adverb) to happen, go (with the subject "it")

   Miten siinä kävi (sinulle)?

   How did it go (for you)?

9. (genitive + 3rd-pers. sg. + an adverb) to happen (to somebody)

   Minun kävi huonosti.

   Things went badly for me.

10. (an adjective in partitive singular, or "mitä" in a question + 3rd-pers. sg. + allative) to happen (to something)

    Mitä sinun jaloillesi on käynyt?

    What has happened to your feet?

11. (intransitive, + allative) to please, suit, make content, be okay (with)

    Meidän siitä tapaamisesta, miten sinulle kävisi sunnuntai?

    About our meeting, would Sunday work for you?

    Minulle käy se hyvin.

    I am okay with that.

12. (intransitive, + elative) to pass (for)

    Tämä varmaan käy ruoasta.

    This could probably pass for food.

13. (intransitive) to run, operate, work

    Moottori käy.

    The motor is running.

14. (intransitive, + translative) to get, grow, become

    Vaikeudet kävivät hänelle liian suuriksi.

    The difficulties got too big for her.

15. (intransitive, chemistry) to ferment, become fermented, yeast
16. (intransitive, obsolete) to step, tread, pace, stride
17. (transitive) Used in many collocations with nouns and with more or less idiomatic value, translated often into "engage in", "have", "do", "transact", "pursue", "keep up", "maintain" etc.

    käydä kauppaa ― to do business

    käydä keskustelu ― to have a conversation

    käydä neuvotteluja ― to negotiate

    käydä vuoropuhelua ― to maintain a dialogue

References