Kävellä means “to walk” and it comes from the verb “käydä” which has basically the same meaning, but it has some other spesific uses. For example: “Sinun pitäisi käydä lääkärissä.” / “You should go to the doctor.”

It’s also a part if idioms like “to be okay with”, for example “maanantai käy minulle” / “Monday is ok for me.” (see also the article about “sopia”), or “to happen“. For example, “mietin, miten minulle vielä käy” “I wonder what will happen to me.”

When in English “engine runs“, in Finnish it “walks”. For example: “Moottori käy tasaisesti.” / “The engine runs steadily.”

-ttää -suffix has the meaning, “make somebody to do something”, for example syödä -> syöttää = to eat -> to feed (= “to make somebody to eat”). In the similar fashion, you’ll get a new verb from “käydä”, namely “käyttää”. Keep in mind that things that work smoothly, “walk” in Finnish. That’s why käyttää means “to use”.

Osaatko käyttää tietokonetta? / Do you know how to use a computer?

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