auttaa
/ˈɑu̯tːɑːˣ/
To help in Finnish is auttaa. Wiktionary also lists opastaa.
Meaning: transitive: provide assistance to (someone or something) (verb)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| auttaa | /ˈɑu̯tːɑːˣ/ |
| opastaa | /ˈopɑstɑːˣ/ |
The verb auttaa is used to mean providing general assistance to someone or something. If you are referring to the assistance itself as a concept or a thing, use the noun apu.
Which one should you use?
While auttaa is used for general assistance, opastaa is more specific and means to guide, direct or instruct someone, such as giving directions or teaching a specific process.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
auttaa is a type 1 verb, which means its stem is formed by adding -a/-ä to the consonant stem. In colloquial speech, you may hear the word mua used as a shortened form of minua (me).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɑu̯tːɑːˣ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
If you are in an emergency and need to shout for help, do not use the noun apu. Instead, use the partitive form apua!
Did you know?
- In Finnish, the concept of 'helping yourself' to food is expressed using ottaa, meaning 'to take', rather than the verb auttaa.
- In Finnish, the verb auttaa governs the partitive case, meaning the person being helped is treated grammatically as if they are only being partially helped.
- If someone is offering help in a store, they might ask Saisinko auttaa?, which literally translates to 'Could I receive [the permission to] help?'
Examples in context
- En voi auttaa sinua.I can't help you.This sentence shows how to use the verb auttaa with a personal pronoun.Tatoeba #2748134 by Henu, translation #843310 by parheliu
- Et voi auttaa meitä.You won't be able to help us.This sentence demonstrates the use of auttaa with a plural pronoun.Tatoeba #2748174 by Henu, translation #2542710 by CK
- Kukaan ei voi auttaa.No one can help.This sentence shows auttaa used without a direct object.Tatoeba #3648402 by Silja, translation #2891729 by CK
- Anteeksi, voitteko auttaa minua?Excuse me, can you help me?
- Olisitteko ystävällinen ja auttaisitte minua?Would you be so kind as to help me?
- Voitko auttaa mua?Can you help me?
- Apua!Help!
- Hei, voitteko auttaa minua löytämään hotellin? Kiitos!Hello, can you help me find the hotel? Thank you!
- 318 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia is in the kitchen and needs a hand with some heavy boxes.
- SofiaJuho, voitko auttaa minua?Juho, can you help me?
- JuhoTotta kai, miten voin auttaa?Of course, how can I help?
- SofiaAuta minua kantamaan näitä laatikoita.Help me carry these boxes.
- JuhoSelvä juttu, minä autan heti.All right, I'll help immediately.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “help” translations and entries auttaa, opastaa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
