# Don't



## Emanresu

I was taught the word for dont in finn is älä, how would i use it in these sentences?

I dont understand
Don't go there
I dont want that

Is there a literal translation for the word doesnt?

Thanks
Kiitos paljon


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## Zinfandel

Hi!

The word älä is used as the imperative.

I don't understand - (minä) en ymmärrä
Don't go there - älä mene sinne
I don't want that - (minä) en halua sitä

I guess the literal translation would be the word ei used with the verb as follows:

I don't understand - en ymmärrä
You don't understand  - et ymmärrä
He doesn't understand - hän ei ymmärrä
We don't understand - emme ymmärrä
You don't understand - ette ymmärrä
They don't understand - he eivät ymmärrä

But someone with a bit more profound understanding about the grammatical subtleties might be able to answer you a little better.


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## Hakro

This is one of the curiosities of the Finnish language: The negation word is actually a verb (auxiliary) that can be conjugated only in present tense:
*en, et, ei, emme , ette, eivät*
and in imperative mood:
*älä, älköön, älkäämme, älkää, älkööt

*As you can see, the conjugation is very irregular, and this verb has no infinitive form.


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## Emanresu

thanks for the replies

Does this make sense if i use en in a sentence?

Minä en tarviin sinnua auttua -/- i dont need your help


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## Hakro

"Minä" is correct and "en" is correct but the rest needs a little help:

_ Minä en tarvitse sinun apua(si)_

Colloquially speaking you can say "tarvii" and you can forget the possessive suffix "-si".


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## Emanresu

and if i want to say:

i dont want your help id say

Mina en haluatse sinun apua?


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## Hakro

Emanresu said:


> Min*ä* en haluatse sinun apua?


This _-tse_ concerns only the verb _tarvita_. 
"En halua" is the correct for for the verb _haluta_.


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