The verb käydä is used very often in Finnish. It has multiple meanings and is important even at beginner levels. In this article, we will go over the different uses.

If you’re a beginning, concentrate on the first two (or three) parts below, as they are the most commonly used.

1. Spending time at a place

The most common use of the verb käydä will generally just be translated as “to go” English. For example, in English, you generally say that you go to the store or the post office. By that, you mean that you’re going there and will be spending some time inside that place.

In Finnish, the verb “to go” mennä is more specifically used to mean the actual act of going; the journey to a place. In contrast, the verb käydä means that you spend a short amount of time at a place. Just to be clear, you can say Minä menen kauppaan “I go to the store” using the verb mennä. However, the verb käydä will be the go-to verb that Finns will use: Minä käyn kaupassa.

In order to make the difference clear, you could translate käydä as “to visit”, because in English this conveys at least somewhat the same idea of going somewhere for a short period of time.

You can find many more example sentences on this primary use of the verb käydä in this article.

2. Spending time doing a designated action

There are certain less concrete situations where you also utilize the verb käydä. For example, you will “visit” the bathroom, the shower and work in Finnish. This meaning of the verb implies that you go to a place to do the designated action of the location.

2.1. Käyn suihkussa & Käyn vessassa

For example, Käyn suihkussa will be translated liberally as “I took a shower”, but literally means that you went there, spent a short time doing the designated action of the place (aka washing yourself) and then exited the location. Finns don’t say Otan suihkun (literally “I take a shower”) because, in its most concrete meaning, that would somehow require you to take the shower into your hands.

The same is true for Minun pitää käydä vessassa, which is literally “I have to visit the toilet” and more liberally translated “I have to pee”.

2.2. Käyn töissä

In Finnish, talking about going to work will also require the verb käydä: Minä käyn töissä. This means that you’re going to be at work for a certain amount of time, doing the designated action of the place.

Finnish does have a verb for “to work” (työskennellä), but it is used much less frequently. Most of the time you will use käydä for doing your actual job, while työskennellä is reserved for telling people where your job is. So, Minä työskentelen pankissa is used to express that you have a job in a bank. You can also use Minä olen töissä pankissa to convey the same meaning, but not käydä. The sentence Minä käyn pankissa just means you’ll be in the bank, not that you work there.

In addition, there are the phrases Minä menen töihin and Minä olen töissä. The verb mennä is more focused on the journey to the place. Someone could call you, ask what you’re doing, and you’d say Minä olen menossa töihin “I’m going to work”.

The use of the verb olla (Minä olen töissä) will convey the meaning that you spend time at your actual place of work, but it doesn’t specifically mean that you’re doing your job there; you’re just there.

2.3. Käyn tekemässä jotain

In addition to using a noun to express the place where you go, you can use a verb to describe what you’re going to do. This verb will also appear in the missä-form, the third infinitive‘s inessive case.

3. Completing something

Usually, the verb käydä will be followed by a place in the inessive case (-ssA). This is true in all the examples up to this point of the article. You can, however, also use käydä with an object. This is the case when you complete a course for example.

The phrase Käyn koulussa means “I go to school”, as in “I spend time studying at school”. In contrast, Käyn koulua refers to completing your education. If you’re still doing this, you will use the partitive case: Matti käy koulua. If you’ve completed it, you will use the genitive case: Matti kävi peruskoulun.

4. To fit, to be okay

The verb käydä can also be used as a synonym for sopia. It’s used to express that a day or arrangement works (is okay) for someone.

5. The running of a machine

When you want to describe how a machine is running, you can use the verb käydä.

6. To begin or cause feelings

The translative case (-ksi) is used when changes take place. When combined with the verb käydä it can express that a certain emotion comes to be.

7. To happen in a certain way

8. Other uses

The following table contains some phrase-like uses of the verb käydä.

9. Sayings with the verb käydä

• Ylpeys käy lankeemuksen edellä
  • Literally: “Pride comes before the fall.”
  • Meaning: If you’re too arrogant you’re going to fail.
• Rikkaus ja onni eivät aina käy käsikkäin.
  • Literally: “Wealth and happiness do not always go hand in hand.“
  • Meaning: Money doesn’t always make people happy.
• Tie miehen sydämeen käy vatsan kautta.
  • Literally: “The way to a man’s heart is through the stomach.”
  • Meaning: A man will love you if you cook for him?

That’s it for this deeper look at the verb käydä! Hopefully you learned something new!

Related posts:

The Verb Kestää – Many Meanings #1 The Verb Saada – Many Meanings #2 The Verb Katsoa – Many Meanings #3 Homonyms – Finnish words with multiple meanings