kehdata

From Proto-Finnic *këhtat'ak.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkehdɑtɑˣ/,
• Rhymes: -ehdɑtɑ
• Syllabification^(key): keh‧da‧ta
• Hyphenation^(key): keh‧da‧ta

kehdata (intransitive)

1. to be able to bring oneself to do something, dare, venture, have the nerve (confidence, courage)

   Synonyms: tohtia, rohjeta, uskaltaa, iljetä

   En kehdannut kysyä niin henkilökohtaisia.

   I could not bring myself to ask about such personal issues

2. to not be ashamed, be proud, not be embarrassed

   Synonyms: rohjeta, uskaltaa

   En kehdannut mennä saunaan alasti.

   I was too ashamed to go naked into the sauna.

3. to have the impudence or nerve, dare, be able

   Synonyms: juljeta, iljetä, saattaa

   Miten hän kehtasi olla niin törkeä?

   How did he have the impudence to be so boorish?

4. (Eastern Finnish) to feel like doing something, to have the desire or energy to

   Synonyms: viitsiä, jaksaa

   En minä kesällä kehtaa tehdä töitä.

   I don't feel like working during the summer.

The distinction between "to dare, have the courage or impudence to do" and "to feel like doing something" is historically a rigid difference between Western and Eastern Finnish:

Standard Finnish largely follows Western Finnish, but hennoa is also accepted in standard Finnish with the same meaning as it has in Eastern Finnish. Other synonyms like iljetä and rohjeta are attested in both groups and are also standard.

• “kehdata”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja ‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02