ärgu

Let Someone Not Do It (Ärgu)

Level 5

Tulgu ta means let him come. Ärgu ta tulgu means let him not come, or he shouldn't come. Both verbs change: ärgu and tulgu.

How It Works

The positive form is the jussive: Tulgu ta homme. (Let him come tomorrow.) For the negative, put ärgu first and keep the -gu/-ku form:

  • ta tuleb → ärgu ta tulgu (he shouldn't come)
  • nad muretsevad → ärgu nad muretsegu (they shouldn't worry)
  • keegi teab → ärgu keegi teadku (let nobody know)

The -gu/-ku form uses the same consonant as the you-all command: tulge → tulgu, hüpake → hüpaku, andke → andku, tehke → tehku.

It has three main uses:

  • An instruction about someone else. Ütle talle, et ärgu ta muretsegu. (Tell him not to worry.)
  • A general warning or appeal. Ärgu keegi arvagu, et see oli lihtne. (Let no one think it was easy.)
  • Letting it go. Kui ta ei taha tulla, siis ärgu tulgu. (If he doesn't want to come, then he doesn't have to.)

It also appears in the fixed pair tehku või ärgu tehku: whether he does it or not.

In a reported instruction it can be used for any person: Ema ütles, et me ärgu hilinegu. (Mom said we mustn't be late.) A more neutral way to say this is et plus the conditional: Ema ütles, et me ei hilineks.

For you, use ära and ärge (Ära muretse!). For we, use ärme or the formal ärgem.

Examples (5)

  1. Ärgu ta muretsegu, küll me hakkama saame.

    He shouldn't worry, we'll manage.

    Word by Word: let-not he worry, surely we manage

  2. Ärgu keegi arvagu, et see oli lihtne.

    Let no one think that it was easy.

  3. Kui ta ei taha tulla, siis ärgu tulgu.

    If he doesn't want to come, then he doesn't have to.

  4. Ema ütles, et me ärgu hilinegu.

    Mom said we mustn't be late.

    Here ärgu passes on Mom's instruction. It works with me because the command comes from someone else.

  5. Tehku või ärgu tehku, mul on ükskõik.

    Whether he does it or not, I don't care.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a present-tense verb after ärgu.

    Ärgu ta muretseb.
    Ärgu ta muretsegu.

    Ärgu always goes with the -gu or -ku form. The present tense muretseb does not fit after it.

  • Using ei with the -gu form.

    Ta ei tulgu homme.
    Ärgu ta tulgu homme.

    Intended meaning: he shouldn't come tomorrow. A negative command uses ärgu, not ei. Ei is for ordinary statements: Ta ei tule homme (He isn't coming tomorrow).

How It Connects

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ärguLevel 5Let Someone Not Do It (Ärgu)

Learn This First

ärgu negates the jussive.

Words in This Pattern

ärgu