FinnishPod101.com Blog

Once you’ve learned how to say hello, mastering how to say goodbye in Finnish should be really high up on your list of essential language skills to pick up. Knowing a few key parting phrases will help you navigate formal and informal social situations with finesse, and using the right expressions is guaranteed to leave a favorable impression.

We’ll start off with the most important Finnish words for goodbye, and then walk you through a number of other expressions that Finns use when parting in different contexts. These include phrases that emphasize your desire to see someone again and phrases that you can use to wish someone well. Once you’ve learned a couple of your favorites, it will be easy to mix and match them to get your message across!

• If you’ve forgotten how to begin a conversation, be sure to review our list of common ways to say hello in Finnish, read our in-depth look at Finnish greetings on our blog, and watch our video on introducing yourself like a native Finn.

Start with a bonus, and download the Must-Know Beginner Vocabulary PDF for FREE!(Logged-In Member Only)

Table of Contents

1. The Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye in Finnish
2. Specific Ways to Say Goodbye
3. Goodbye Gestures in Finland
4. Lopuksi

1. The Most Common Ways to Say Goodbye in Finnish

If you’re just after a quick translation for the word goodbye in Finnish, look no further. We’ll cover the most common formal and informal ways to say goodbye before moving on to other useful expressions. However, we really recommend sticking around until the end—there are numerous phrases to learn that are guaranteed to come in handy!

1 – Goodbye

When saying goodbye, there’s one word that you can safely use in almost any situation:

• Näkemiin. (“Goodbye.”)

This expression is derived from the word nähdä (“to see”), and its literal meaning is “until seeing.” It’s a polite way to say goodbye, so you can use it whenever you’re talking to older people or those you don’t know very well.

The equivalent expression to use when ending a phone call is:

• Kuulemiin. (“Goodbye.”)

 This one is derived from the word kuulla (“to hear”) and literally means “until hearing.”

2 – Bye

Now that we’ve covered the formal way to say goodbye, let’s see how to say a more informal “bye.” Actually,  the words in this section embody how to say hello and goodbye in Finnish—they can be used for both purposes! 

• Hei (“Hi” / “Bye”)
• Moi (“Hi” / “Bye”)

However, the words above can sound a little abrupt when parting, and it’s more common to use these longer variants when taking leave:

• Hei hei (“Bye-bye”)
• Moi moi (“Bye-bye”)

These Finnish phrases for goodbye are neutral expressions and are very common in Finland. They can be used in a variety of situations, from business meetings to coffee dates with friends.

And finally, these two words are more casual versions of hei and moi:

• Heippa (“Hi” / “Bye”)
• Moikka (“Hi” / “Bye”)

Hei hei, nähdään koulun jälkeen. (“Bye-bye, see you after school.”)

2. Specific Ways to Say Goodbye

Now you know the most essential expressions, but let’s not leave it there! Now we’re going to learn a number of phrases that will take your goodbyes to the next level.

1 – See you!

The Finnish equivalent to the casual expression “see you” is the verb nähdä (“to see”) in its passive form:

• Nähdään! (“See you!”)
• Nähdään taas. (“See you again.”)

You can use this expression with people you know well, and whom you expect to see again sometime. Here are a few different variations you can use in case you want to be a bit more specific about when you plan to see them again:

• Nähdään pian. (“See you soon.”)
• Nähdään myöhemmin. (“See you later.”)
• Nähdään huomenna. (“See you tomorrow.”)
• Nähdään ensi viikolla. (“See you next week.”)
• Nähdään maanantaina. (“See you on Monday.”)

You can customize that final phrase by using any other day of the week—just add the ending -na to the name of the weekday. In case you need a refresher on how to say the days of the week in Finnish, you’ll find them all on this vocabulary list.

Other verbs can also be used in a similar way. Take, for example, the humorous phrase below, using the verb törmäillä (“to repeatedly bump into something”) in the passive form:

Törmäillään! (“See you!”)

Learn more about the passive voice in Finnish on Wikipedia.

It’s a date!

2 – Until next time!

Here are some more examples of how to say goodbye in Finland when you expect to meet someone again. In these expressions, the noun is in the illative case.

• Ensi kertaan! (“Until next time!”)
• Seuraavaan kertaan! (“Until next time!”)

Note that the word ensi can mean either “the first” or “the next,” depending on the context. For example, ensi-ilta refers to the premiere or opening (i.e. the first) night of a film or theater production. In contrast, seuraava always means “the next.”

Using the same form, you can also refer to meeting someone the next day, for example:

• Huomiseen! (“Until tomorrow!”)
• Ensi viikkoon! (“Until next week!”)

3 – Keep well.

It’s nice to wish somebody well when saying goodbye! Let’s take a look at a couple of ways to do just that.

The verb voida is used to express how someone is feeling or doing. Using the imperative mood, you can use this verb to wish someone well, particularly when you’re not going to see them for a while:

• Voi hyvin. (“Keep well.”)

You can also use the word pärjäillä (“to be fine” / “to do okay”) when you want to wish someone well. These expressions are especially relevant when the other person is going through challenging times (though the first one can also be neutral):

• Pärjäile. (“Hang in there.”)
• Koita pärjätä. (“Try to hang in there.”)

Want to wish them all the best? Say this:

• Kaikkea hyvää. (“All the best.”)

Koita pärjätä. (“Try to hang in there.”)

4 – It was nice to see you.

Here’s how to tell someone that you’ve enjoyed your time with them:

• Oli kiva nähdä. (“It was nice to see you.”)

Note that the Finnish sentence doesn’t actually include the words “it” (se) and “you” (sinä). A literal translation would be: “Was nice to see.”

Here are a couple of similar expressions:

• Oli hauska tutustua. (“It was fun to meet you.”)
• Oli mukava jutella. (“It was lovely to chat with you.”)

Would you like to construct more sentences like those above to suit a specific situation? Look up more verbs in Finnish on our most common verbs list.

5 – Let’s keep in touch.

Have you made a nice Finnish friend and want to chat again? Here are a few Finnish goodbye phrases you can use to say so. Remember nähdään (“see you”)? Again, we’re going to use the passive form of our chosen verb:

• Pidetään yhteyttä. (“Let’s keep in touch.”)
• Palataan asiaan. (“Let’s get back to it.”)
• Palaillaan. (“Let’s get back to it.” – A casual alternative to the phrase above.)
• Soitellaan. (“Let’s keep calling.”)
• Kirjoitellaan. (“Let’s keep writing.”)

Soitellaan. (“Let’s keep calling.”)

6 – Have a nice day.

Here are a few different ways to tell someone to have a nice time as you part ways:

• Hyvää päivän jatkoa. (“Have a nice day onwards.”)
• Hauskaa iltaa. (“Have a fun evening.” – Used especially when the other person has special plans.)
• Hyvää illan jatkoa. (“Have a nice evening onwards.”)
• Hyvää yötä. (“Goodnight.”)
• Hyvää viikonloppua. (“Have a nice weekend.”)
• Hyvää lomaa. (“Have a nice vacation.”)

Note that the word jatko in päivän jatkoa and illan jatkoa refers to a “continuation” of the day or evening. You can use the word jatko by itself, too. This expression is suited for situations when you’re not going to see the other person for a while:

• Hyvää jatkoa. (“All the best in the future.”)

Hyvää yötä! (“Goodnight!”)

7 – Farewell.

Tread carefully! This is an expression that you should only really use if you never expect (or intend) to see someone again:

• Hyvästi. (“Farewell.”)

This word is derived from the word hyvä (“good”), and it’s used as a common way to wish someone well when parting. So why does it have a somewhat negative connotation now? The meaning of the word changed during wartime—because you couldn’t be sure if you would ever see your loved ones again, the expression became associated with a permanent parting of ways. Nowadays, hyvästi is rarely used in Finland, and it sounds fairly formal.

Hyvästi means goodbye forever.

8 – Saying goodbye in an email or letter

What about saying goodbye in writing? Here are a couple of ways to close an email or letter in Finnish:

• Terveisin. (“Best wishes.”)
• Ystävällisin terveisin. (“Kind regards.”)
• Rakkaudella. (“Much love.”)
• Kiittäen. (“Thanks.”)

You can learn more Finnish expressions to use in emails and letters on here.

3. Goodbye Gestures in Finland

So now you’ve learned a lot of goodbye expressions, but what about goodbye gestures?

A simple wave of the hand works in any casual situation, whereas a brief and firm handshake is commonplace when saying goodbye in formal situations. Hugging is common among close friends, family members, and romantic partners, while French-style cheek kisses are not used in Finland.

Want to learn more about Finnish customs and manners? Read more about the topic on This is Finland.

If in doubt, shake hands!

4. Lopuksi

In this article, you’ve learned numerous ways to say goodbye in Finnish, so you’ll never be at a loss for words when taking your leave! If you’re unsure about how to pronounce these expressions, you can find recordings of many of them on our list of the most common ways to say goodbye in Finnish, available for free on FinnishPod101.com.

While on our website, be sure to explore our other vocabulary lists (we frequently add new ones), our convenient three-minute video lessons, and our entertaining audio lessons. You can sign up for a free account to keep track of the lessons you’ve taken, or go for a Premium PLUS account to reach fluency fast with the help of an experienced Finnish teacher.

Which expressions are your favorites? Are there any other ways to say goodbye in Finnish you’ve heard that we didn’t cover? As always, we love to hear from you, so join the discussion by leaving a comment!

Finnish has a reputation of being a difficult language to learn. But is Finnish hard to learn, really? 

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) has come up with a difficulty ranking for language-learning based on how different each language is from English. Using this system, FSI has placed Finnish in category IV. In other words, an English-speaker would need approximately forty-four weeks (or 1,100 hours) to reach general professional proficiency in Finnish (speaking and reading).

In general, it’s the Finnish grammar that tends to put learners off. However, there are many aspects of the language that learners also find very straightforward and simple! So perhaps we should reframe the question: How easy is it to learn Finnish?

Let’s take a closer look at each side of the coin so you can decide for yourself!

Table of Contents

1. Why Finnish is a Lot Easier to Learn Than You Think!
2. What are the Challenging Parts of Learning Finnish?
3. I Want to Learn Finnish. Where Should I Start?
4. A Few More Quick Tips for New Finnish-Learners
5. Why is FinnishPod101 Great for Learning Finnish?

Does Finnish deserve its reputation as a difficult language?

1. Why Finnish is a Lot Easier to Learn Than You Think!

1 – The pronunciation is highly regular.

If you’ve ever struggled with unpredictable pronunciation and silent letters while learning a new language, you’re going to love Finnish! In general, each sound in the Finnish language corresponds to a specific letter in the alphabet. Learn these sounds and you can simply “say what you see” (with very few exceptions).

The Finnish stress pattern is also a gift to language-learners: the primary stress always falls on the first syllable of a word. So forget about awkward accent marks—you’ll find none in Finnish. 

Why not learn the Finnish alphabet from A to Z with our free eBook?

Most sounds used in Finnish correspond to a specific letter.

2 – There’s no grammatical gender or articles.

If you were learning a language like French or Spanish, having to memorize the gender of each noun would certainly slow you down. Finnish-learners rejoice: You can forget all about that nonsense! There are no gendered nouns in Finnish. Even the third person singular pronoun hän (“he” / “she”) is gender-neutral, so there’s no risk of offending anyone by accidentally using the wrong pronoun.

There are no articles either. Whether you’re talking about “a dog” or “the dog,” in Finnish, it’s the same: koira.

You’ll find no gendered nouns in Finnish!

3 – It’s easy to expand your vocabulary fast.

At first glance, Finnish can look completely alien to an English-speaker. However, learning new words can be surprisingly easy.

Loanwords

It won’t take long until you start spotting familiar words. Finnish has borrowed many words from other languages, and according to lexicographers, the number of English loanwords entering Finnish is growing every year. A relatively recent addition is internetti (“internet”), or netti for short. 

Compound words

Another reason you’ll be able to expand your Finnish vocabulary faster than you thought is the large number of compound words in the language. It’ll often be a breeze to work out the meaning of a compound word if you’re already familiar with the component words. 

• jääkaappi (“fridge” – “ice + cupboard”)
• tietokone (“computer” – “knowledge + machine”)

Derivative suffixes

Another thing that can help you pick up Finnish words quickly is to learn related words in groups. All the words in the list below are derived from the same word stem:

• kirja (“book”)
• kirjain (“letter” / “character”)
• kirjasto (“library”)
• kirjanen (“pamphlet”)
• kirjoitus (“text” / “writing” – noun)
• kirjailija (“writer”)
• kirjaimellinen (“literal”)
• kirjallisuus (“literature”)
• kirjoittaa (“to write”)

Many of these words have been created by attaching a suffix to the word stem. For example, the word for “library” is created by applying the suffix -sto, which signifies a collection of things (books, in this case). Familiarizing yourself with some of the more common suffixes can really speed up your vocabulary learning!

Learn more about Finnish noun-forming suffixes here and find more derivational suffixes here.

Kirjasto (“library”) literally means ‘a collection of books.’

 4 – There’s no future tense.

Could Finnish be any more streamlined? Yes! Because there’s no future tense. Why overcomplicate things? 

Future actions in Finnish are usually expressed using the present tense. You can work out the difference from the context or from the use of adverbs like huomenna (“tomorrow”) or ensi vuonna (“next year”).

Talking about the future? Just use the present tense!

 5 – The grammar is consistent.

Few things about language-learning are as frustrating as learning a rule by heart only to trip over one exception after another. We’ll get to the challenging aspects of Finnish grammar in due course, but for now, let us just say this: Finnish grammar is typically very consistent and regular. Yes, it may take you a while to become ‘besties’ with Finnish grammar, but once you do, you’ve found yourself a very good friend that you can rely on!

 2. What are the Challenging Parts of Learning Finnish?

We’re never going to lie and say that learning Finnish is all easy. There are aspects of the language that can feel very frustrating at first—but the same is true about any language, right? The trick is to know what you’re in for, take it step-by-step, and keep the faith!

Here are a few things that make Finnish hard to learn…

1 – The notorious noun cases

English-speakers are used to relying on lots of little words, like prepositions, to convey information. In Finnish, the same is usually achieved by inflecting words. While only three noun cases are used in modern English (the subjective, the objective, and the possessive), there’s a grand total of fifteen noun cases in Finnish.

Understandably, this can make prospective Finnish-learners nervous. To illustrate the difficulties, let’s talk about cake.

• Minä pidän kakusta. (“I like cake.”)
• Minä haluan kakkua. (“I want cake.”)
• Minulla on kakku. (“I have a cake.”)
• Minä söin kakun. (“I ate a cake.”)
• Minä olen kyllästynyt kakkuun. (“I’m sick of cake.”)

You’ve just seen five different cases (elative, partitive, nominative, genitive, and illative) in action! Wherever you turn, you’re bound to run into noun cases. But while it may take you a while to learn the rules, remember that Finnish grammar is consistent and logical. You’ve got this!

Sick of cake—or noun cases?

2 – Say hello to even more word endings

As if noun cases weren’t enough, there are even more endings for you to learn. You have a choice of seven different clitics. They can often be combined, like this:

•  Onkohan se totta? (“I wonder if it’s true?”)

In the example above, the ending -ko turns the verb on (“is”) into a question, while the ending -han changes the tone, making the question less pressing and direct (“I wonder if”). If using more than one clitic, you need to get the order right!

Learn more about Finnish clitics and their uses here.

Onkohan se totta? (“I wonder if it’s true?”)

3 – Verb conjugation

Verb conjugation is another thing that can make the Finnish language hard to learn and induce feelings of dread in new learners! In Finnish, there are six main types of verbs that all behave somewhat differently. In order to inflect verbs correctly, you’ll need to be able to recognize the different verb types and remember what changes take place when the verb is inflected.

However, we’ve got some good news, too. You’ll be glad to know that irregular verbs are very rare in Finnish! The main offenders are the verb olla (“to be”), juosta (“to run”), tehdä (“to do”), and nähdä (“to see”). Once you’ve dealt with those, you’re unlikely to come across another irregular verb.

Find a concise introduction to Finnish verbs on our website, learn more about the six different Finnish verb types in this lesson, and dive deeper into Finnish verb conjugation on Wikipedia.

Juosta (“to run”): a rare example of an irregular verb in Finnish.

4 – Consonant gradation

Consonant gradation has to do with spelling changes that affect the stem of a noun when an ending is added. It’s also considered one of the most tedious aspects of learning Finnish! However, the rules of consonant gradation are logical, so there’s no doubt that you’ll master this skill—as long as you’re willing to put in the effort.

Learn about consonant gradation here, and see more examples in this lesson.

5 – Finnish is full of long words

The Finns’ love for compound words can get out of hand sometimes. In theory, it’s possible to coin massive word monsters by combining any number of words (though four words is typically the maximum you’ll see). From a learner’s point of view, this can make some Finnish words a nightmare to make sense of.

Here are some long Finnish compound words that you might come across: 

• käsipyyherullajärjestelmä (“hand towel roll system”)
• pyyhkäisyelektronimikroskooppi (“scanning electron microscope”)
• elintarviketurvallisuusvirasto (“food safety authority”)
• kolmivaihekilowattituntimittari (“three phase kilowatt hour meter”)

As you can imagine, these are not only hard to spell, but they’re also some pretty hard Finnish words to pronounce! 

Thankfully, most compound words consist of only two words! And once you’re more comfortable with compound words, you can even start having fun with them. That is, you can create your very own compound words in Finnish, and no one will bat an eyelid as long as they make sense!

Is that a word or a tongue-twister?!

3. I Want to Learn Finnish. Where Should I Start?

1 – Define your goal.

First of all, be clear about why you want to learn Finnish! Do you want to learn a little conversational Finnish in preparation for a trip to Finland? Are you dreaming of living in Finland one day and want to pass the YKI exam? Or are you addicted to Nordic Noir and desperate to read Finnish crime novels that haven’t been translated yet?

Your learning strategy will depend on what you want to achieve, so define your goal and keep it in mind to stay motivated!

Stay focused on your learning target.

2 – Start with the vocabulary that you need the most.

If you’re planning to learn Finnish, you’ll want to start using the language as quickly as possible. To do just that, make sure you prioritize learning the most relevant vocabulary and expressions. Of course, what’s most relevant depends on you! Are you planning to travel around Finland? Get started with some essential travel vocabulary. Or perhaps you’re dating a Finn? Learn how to compliment him or her.

You can create personalized flashcards to help you learn your chosen words. Alternatively, get started with the 100 most common Finnish words.

Plan to travel in Finland? Start learning travel vocabulary, like matkalaukku (“suitcase”).

 3 – Break grammar into manageable chunks.

Finnish grammar can feel overwhelming at times, but you don’t need to take it all in right away! Focus on practicing just a few noun cases at first, and tackle the conjugation of one verb type at a time. And if you do get frustrated, remember that Finnish is a very logical and methodical language. Remain patient, and you’ll get there!

4 – Speak from day one.

You may think of speaking as one of the last steps you take in the process of learning a new language. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourself by mispronouncing words or making grammar mistakes, right? No—we passionately advocate the exact opposite! Start speaking Finnish as soon as possible, and use every opportunity to use the words and phrases that you’re learning. This will boost your confidence and also help you learn by trial and error. Don’t ever let the fear of making mistakes hold you back.

Get started right away with these Finnish key phrases.

Don’t be shy! Speak Finnish from day one.

4. A Few More Quick Tips for New Finnish-Learners 

1 – Don’t give up!

Learning a language takes time and effort. If it didn’t, we’d all be polyglots! Therefore, you’re likely to get frustrated at times. If this happens to you, take a break from whatever you’re struggling with and focus on something easier (like learning new vocabulary) for a bit. And if you ever get really stuck, you can always reach out to an experienced Finnish tutor for extra help and guidance.

2 – Immerse yourself.

Boost your learning by taking every opportunity to expose yourself to Finnish. Find Finnish music and podcasts to listen to (you’re getting used to the sounds and the rhythm of the language, even if you understand very little to start with!). You should also watch YouTube videos and films in Finnish, and start reading articles and books as soon as possible. Seeing and hearing Finnish used in real life helps solidify the lessons you’ve learned in a fun and exciting way.

3 – Team up with other learners.

Sharing your triumphs and struggles, and exchanging language-learning tips with other people, can be really motivating! Why not chat with other Finnish learners on social media? Check out our Instagram and Facebook pages to engage with other learners.

4 – Make language-learning a part of your routine.

If you can make time for language-learning on a regular basis, you’ll make progress a lot faster. The best way is to schedule time to study Finnish each day. Could you fit in a lesson or two during your morning commute or your lunch break? Our language apps allow you to access Finnish lessons anywhere, and are the perfect way to incorporate Finnish-learning effortlessly into your life, no matter how busy you are!

Use our app to access Finnish lessons on-the-go.

5. Why is FinnishPod101 Great for Learning Finnish?

If you’re keen to learn Finnish, FinnishPod101 has an effective learning system for learners at every level.  

1 – An integrated approach

One of the strengths of our method is combining multiple skills into a single lesson. Combining grammar notes with a listening exercise, for example, makes our lessons more organic and powerful, helping you progress faster.

2 – Plenty of free resources

Whether you’re just dipping your toes into Finnish-learning to see if it’s really for you, or are already fully committed to becoming fluent, we have a huge collection of suitable learning materials for you. Even better, a lot of our content is completely free to use.

3 – Customizable content

From customized vocabulary flashcards to lesson pathways tailored to your specific needs, our system is designed to support you and help you reach your personal learning goals, whatever they are.

4 – Extra help from a Finnish tutor

If you ever need extra support or want to take your language learning to the next level, our Premium PLUS program gives you access to a private Finnish tutor. Your tutor can help you with all aspects of language-learning, such as giving you feedback on your pronunciation and providing personalized assignments to help you test your knowledge.

We’ll help you succeed!

So how hard is it to learn Finnish? In this guide, we’ve discussed the notorious noun cases (among other stumbling blocks that Finnish-learners face), as well as the many ways in which Finnish can be surprisingly straightforward. Our final verdict is this: The language has its challenges, but learning Finnish is definitely doable—and also very rewarding!

What are your thoughts? Are you feeling more hesitant or reassured? Feel free to reach out to us if you want to know more about how we can help you learn Finnish!

Learning a new language is a great adventure. On your journey, you’ll come across many tricky sounds, some confusing grammar, and many words that seem to behave strangely for no good reason… 

But all good adventurers come prepared, and we’re here to help you prepare! That is, we’ll shine our spotlight on the ten most common Finnish mistakes, so that your journey will go that much more smoothly. In addition, knowing what Finnish mistakes to watch out for will give you an easier time making yourself understood when speaking with locals.

We’ll be looking at common pronunciation mistakes for Finnish-learners, typical mistakes in Finnish grammar, and a few other things that Finnish-learners often struggle with. Be sure to read to the end of this guide, where we’ll reveal the biggest mistake of all!

Table of Contents

1. Long Vowels and Double Consonants
2. Tricky Sounds
3. Common Homonyms
4. The Many Meanings of No niin!
5. Postpositions
6. The Object Trilemma: Partitive, Nominative, or Accusative?
7. Vowel Harmony
8. Consonant Gradation
9. Repeating Things Unnecessarily
10. Not Preparing for Spoken Finnish
11. The Biggest Mistake!

Älä huoli, kaikki tekevät virheitä! (“Don’t worry, everybody makes mistakes!”)

1. Long Vowels and Double Consonants

Have you noticed how many Finnish words sound extremely similar to each other? Often, the only difference is a double letter, so it’s very easy to mix up similar words. However, taking time to tune your ear to the sound of long vowels and double consonants—and getting your pronunciation right—is very important. A single letter can change the meaning of a word drastically.

Consider these very similar-sounding statements:

• Tapaan Esan huomenna! (“I’m meeting Esa tomorrow!”)
• Tapan Esan huomenna! (“I’m killing Esa tomorrow!”)

Poor Esa will surely hope you meant the first one! Here are other examples of words that look and sound very similar:

• tuli / tuuli / tulli (“fire” / “wind” / “customs”)
• muta / mutta / muuttaa (“mud” / “but” / “to move”)
• tili / tiili / tilli (“account” / “brick” / “dill”)

 Here’s the rule of thumb when it comes to pronunciation: Double equals longer and stronger.

Tuli, ei tuuli! (“Fire, not wind!”)

2. Tricky Sounds

While most sounds in Finnish will present no problems for English-speakers, there are a couple that can be challenging and require some practice to get right. Trust us, with enough practice and exposure, you’ll be able to avoid an embarrassing pronunciation mistake in Finnish later on down the line.

 Let’s take a closer look at the Finnish ä, ö, y, and r!

Ä

Ä: pronounced like “a” in “that” and “cat”

Ää: pronounced like the “a” in “bad” and “sad”

Go ahead and say these words out loud:

• äkkiä (“quickly”)
• äiti (“mother”)
• ääni (“sound”)
• häät (“wedding”)

Ö

 Ö: Pronounced like “e” in “better”

Öö: Pronounced like “ea” in “earn” or “u” in “turn”

 A few words for you to practice with:

• öinen (“nightly”)
• ötökkä (“bug”)
• lööppi (“headline”)
• söötti (“cute” – colloquial) 

Y

The “y” sound is one of the trickiest for Finnish-learners to master, because it isn’t found in English. The best way to get the sound just right is to listen to recordings of Finnish words with y and repeat those words until you feel confident. 

For example, listen to the recording of tyttärentytär (“granddaughter”) on this vocabulary list.

Here are a few more words for you to practice with:

• yksi (“one”)
• nyt (“now”)
• kyynel (“teardrop”)
• tyyny (“pillow”)

R

If you’re struggling with the Finnish “r,” take heart—even many Finns get help from a speech therapist to correct their ärrävika (saying “r” incorrectly) while growing up!

If you’ve ever studied Spanish, you’ll have an advantage because the Finnish “r” is similar to the “r” sound in Spanish. The key to getting the clear sound is to really roll the “r.” You can literally feel your tongue vibrating when you’re doing it right!

Note that the Finnish “r” is made at the front of the mouth (the same place where you make the “d” sound!), while the English “r” is made further back in the mouth.

Here’s a selection of Finnish words to practice rolling your “r” with. Remember to make the sound longer when you see a double “r”!

• ravintola (“restaurant”)
• radio (“radio”)
• suuri (“big”)
• murre (“dialect”)

If you’re feeling especially brave, try this Finnish tongue-twister:

•  Ärrän kierrän ympäri orren. (“I wrap the ‘r’ around the perch.”)

Would you like more help with your pronunciation? FinnishPod101.com has a comprehensive guide to Finnish sounds and how to master them, a Finnish alphabet page, and a relevant audio lesson.

The Finnish sound “y” is made with rounded lips.

3. Common Homonyms

Alright, so we’ve gone on quite a bit about Finnish words that are similar to each other. Now we’re going to talk about homonyms—words that sound and look the same but have different meanings. They’re very common in Finnish!

Being aware of common homonyms means that you’re less likely to trip over them, so let’s take a look at some examples, starting with the classic kuusi palaa.

The word kuusi can mean any of these things: 

• “Six”
• “A fir tree” 
• “Your moon” (kuu + the possessive suffix -si)

The word palaa can mean any of these things: 

• “Pieces” (in the partitive case)
• “Burns” 
• “Returns”

Therefore, kuusi palaa can mean a fair number of things, including “six pieces” and “the fir tree is burning”!

Here are a few more words with different meanings:

• Tuli (“fire” or “came” in third person singular)
• Keksi (“biscuit” or “invented” in third person singular)
• Kurkku (“cucumber” or “throat”)

Discover more Finnish homonyms on this list.

4. The Many Meanings of No niin!

If you’re spending time in Finland, you’ll probably hear no niin (or noni) uttered a lot. Many Finnish-learners are confused by the sheer range of meanings that this simple utterance can have. It can signal enthusiasm, disappointment, and irritation, for starters. You can’t simply decide that no niin means “well” or “now” and be done with it. The Finnish stand-up comedian Ismo Leikola went so far as to claim that no niin is the most important Finnish expression there is!

 Here are a few examples of no niin in action.

• No niin, ruoka on valmista! (“Okay, the food is ready!”)
• No niin, hieno homma! (“That’s great, well done!”)
• No niin, taas mennään. (“Oh dear, here we go again.”)
• No niin, aika näyttää. (“Well, time will tell.”)

5. Postpositions

In general, you’ll find that Finnish word order is not that dissimilar from the English one. Take this basic declarative sentence:

• Mies söi omenan. (“A man ate an apple.”) 

It follows the subject + verb + object order that you’re already familiar with. 

However, there are still a few word order surprises for Finnish-learners. A case in point is Finnish postpositions, which express place, cause, time, consequence, or relation. While in English, you would say “behind the sofa” or “after school,” in Finnish, you’ll put the adposition after your noun, hence the term postposition. Note that the noun will usually be in the genitive case.

Look at these examples with the postposition underlined:

• Sohvan takana (“Behind the sofa”)
• Pöydän päällä (“On top of the table”)
• Maton alla (“Under the rug”)
• Laatikon sisällä (“Inside the box”)
• Koulun jälkeen (“After school”)

You can learn more Finnish postpositions on Wiktionary.

Though far less common, there are a few prepositions in Finnish as well. The most useful ones to memorize are ennen (“before”) and ilman (“without”). Note that the noun is now in the partitive case.

• Ennen joulua (“Before Christmas”)
• Ilman apua (“Without help”)

Wait! Then we have a couple of words that can be either, such as keskellä (“in the middle of”) and lähellä (“near”)! Remember that the order affects the case of the noun. 

• Keskellä kaupunkia (“In the middle of the city”)
• Kaupungin keskellä (“In the middle of the city”)

Learn more vocabulary related to positions and directions on our website.

Selän takana (“Behind the back”)

6. The Object Trilemma: Partitive, Nominative, or Accusative?

One aspect of Finnish grammar that scares prospective learners (and frustrates the current ones) the most is the use of numerous noun cases. We agree, it’s a lot to wrap your head around. But on the bright side, once you’ve mastered your noun cases, you’ll be well on your way to Finnish fluency!

The best approach to learning the noun cases is to focus on a few at a time and practice them a lot (and then practice them some more). Right now, we’ll focus on the tricky trilemma of choosing whether to put the object of your sentence into the nominative, accusative, or partitive case. Getting it wrong is one of the easiest mistakes in Finnish to make, but we know that you can do this!

1. The object in the partitive case

Choose the partitive when:

• The object follows a partitive verb, such as rakastaa (“to love”), vihata (“to hate”), or odottaa (“to wait for”).
• The object is a part of a negative sentence.
• The object follows a number.
• The action is taking place now and may not be fully completed.
• The object is uncountable.

 Examples:

• Minä rakastan sinua. (“I love you.”)
• En halua koiraa. (“I don’t want a dog.”)
• Sanna lukee kirjaa. (“Sanna is reading a book.”)
• Arto juo kahvia. (“Arto is drinking coffee.”)

 2. The object in the nominative case

Choose the nominative when:

• The object follows a verb that’s in the passive form.
• The object follows a necessive, such as minun on pakko (“I have to”), minun täytyy (“I must”), or minun pitää (“I need”). 
• The object follows a command.

Examples:

• Tänään siivotaan keittiö. (“Today, the kitchen is cleaned.”)
• Minun täytyy pedata sänky. (“I must make the bed.”)
• Ota puhelin. (“Take the phone.”) 

3. The object in the accusative case

Finally, choose the accusative case when: 

• The action has been fully completed.
• The intention is to fully complete the action.

Examples:

• Ostin kesämökin. (“I bought a summer cottage.”)
• Aion sulkea oven. (“I’m going to close the door.”)

No niin, you’ve probably already spotted a problem here. What if several of these rules apply to the same sentence? Well, in situations like that, the partitive trumps the nominative, and the nominative trumps the accusative. So, the hierarchy looks like this:

Partitive > Nominative > Accusative

Can you think of a mnemonic to help you remember the correct order? Things get more complicated when you add things like plurals or possessive suffixes into the mix, but that is a lesson for another day! For now, keep your eye on objects and cases whenever you’re reading Finnish sentences, and see if you can work out which rule is being followed.

Tyttö lukee kirjaa. (“A girl is reading a book.”)

7. Vowel Harmony

Compared to the difficulty of wrestling with the Finnish noun cases, figuring out vowel harmony is a walk in the park. Still, forgetting about vowel harmony is a common mistake in the Finnish language, so let’s take a closer look.

What exactly is vokaaliharmonia (“vowel harmony”), and why does it matter? In Finnish, vowels are grouped into front, back, and neutral vowels. 

• Front vowels: A, O, U
• Back vowels: Y, Ä, Ö
• Neutral vowels: E, I

Normally, you can’t mix front and back vowels in the same word, while neutral vowels can mix with either front or back vowels. Knowing this will help you with your spelling, but more importantly, it will help you choose the right endings when you inflect words.

For example, talo (“house”) in the partitive case becomes taloa, but mörkö (“ghost”) inflected in the partitive case becomes mörköä. Words containing only neutral vowels generally take the same ending as words with back vowels. For example: vintti (“attic”) becomes vinttiä in the partitive case.

Note that there are some words that don’t follow the rules, including many loanwords.

• konduktööri (“conductor”)
• Olympialaiset (“Olympics”)

Vokaaliharmonia ei päde olympialaiset-sanaan.
(“Vowel harmony doesn’t apply to the word ‘Olympics’.”)

8. Consonant Gradation

Another type of error Finnish-learners make quite often has to do with astevaihtelu (“consonant gradation”). It’s something you’ll come across a lot in your Finnish studies, so it’s good to learn about it sooner rather than later!

Consonant gradation comes into play when we add an ending to a noun or a verb. There are “strong” and “weak” grades of words, and these grades determine whether the word changes or not. As you probably guessed, “strong” words don’t change while “weak” words do.

We’ll look at simple consonant gradation affecting words with the consonants K, P, and T.

Examples of words in the nominative case (the basic form), which is always strong:

• pankki (“bank”)
• kuppi (“cup”)
• katto (“roof”)

The same words are also strong in the following cases:

• Partitive: pankkia, kuppia, kattoa
• Illative: pankkiin, kuppiin, kattoon
• Essive: pankkina, kuppina, kattona

See? No changes there. However, when the same words are in the following cases, they become weak and drop a letter:

• Plural: pankit, kupit, katot
• Genitive: pankin, kupin, katon
• Inessive: pankissa, kupissa, katossa
• Elative: pankista, kupista, katosta
• Adessive: pankilla, kupilla, katolla
• Ablative: pankilta, kupilta, katolta
• Allative: pankille, kupille, katolle
• Translative: pankiksi, kupiksi, katoksi

That was so easy that you’ll no doubt want to know more about Finnish consonant gradation. Luckily, there’s a lot more to learn! You could start by reading this Wikipedia article or listening to this audio lesson.

Just doing some light reading on Finnish consonant gradation.

9. Repeating Things Unnecessarily

One mistake that many Finnish-learners make is putting a lot of effort into things like memorizing correct verb conjugation but not taking advantage of what they’ve learned! Whatever do we mean? Well, conjugating like a pro allows you to become “lazy.” That is, you can start dropping unnecessary words like minä (“I”)!

Take a look at this introduction:

• Hei, minä olen Helena! Minä asun Oulussa. (“Hi, I’m Helena! I live in Oulu.”)

Our example is grammatically correct. However, the conjugated verb already tells us that the subject of the sentence is “I.” Therefore, you can drop it and no one will miss it!

• Hei, olen Helena! Asun Oulussa.

Leaving out words that aren’t strictly necessary sounds more natural to Finnish ears. The same applies when you’re asking questions. Feel free to drop sinä (“you”) as well. For example:

• Puhutko sinä suomea? (“Do you speak Finnish?”)
• Puhutko suomea?

Listen to this audio lesson, where we chat more about this common mistake.

10. Not Preparing for Spoken Finnish

For many Finnish-learners, their first time talking to a Finn in real life comes as a shock. Why? Spoken Finnish can sound very different from standard Finnish!

In general, spoken Finnish is simply more economical than standard Finnish.

Here are some common features of spoken Finnish:

• Syllables are dropped. 
  • e.g. mutta (“but”) becomes mut.
• Words are ‘squished’ together. 
  • e.g. Tuutsä? (“Are you coming?”) instead of Tuletko sinä?
• The word se (“it”) replaces hän (“he” / “she”).
• The verb is in the passive form in the first person plural. 
  • e.g. Me ollaan koulussa. (“We are in school.”) instead of Me olemme koulussa.
• The possessive suffix is dropped. 
  • e.g. Minun koira (“My dog”) instead of Minun koirani.

Learn more about colloquial Finnish on Wikipedia.

Wait, are we speaking Finnish?

11. The Biggest Mistake!

No niin, we’ve finally made it to the big reveal! So, what is the biggest mistake a Finnish-learner could make? Being afraid of making mistakes! That’s right; mistakes are a part of your learning journey, so embrace them.

We certainly don’t expect you to never make any of the mistakes mentioned in this article. What we do hope, though, is that you’ve become more aware of the common pitfalls, so that you’ll notice more easily when you might have stumbled. In order to learn from our mistakes, we need to be able to notice them first!

FinnishPod101 is full of free resources to help you with your Finnish studies, so remember to make full use of them! For example, a brilliant way to perfect your pronunciation of tricky Finnish sounds is to listen to the audio recordings that accompany our vocabulary lists and repeat each word out loud!

And if you’d like an experienced teacher to help you wrap your head around consonant gradation or any other grammar rules, our Premium PLUS one-on-one coaching is perfect for you. 

However you prefer to learn, we’re cheering you on!

Before you go, let us know in the comments how many of these mistakes you’ve made before. We look forward to hearing from you!

Have you ever stopped to think just how often we ask questions on a daily basis? Questions are incredibly helpful in our everyday lives—and doubly so when we’re speaking a foreign language! Learning Finnish conversational questions and answers will not only help you navigate practical situations (like finding a bank) while you’re in Finland, but it’ll also allow you to converse more naturally with Finns in social situations.

This guide will introduce you to the basics of forming questions in Finnish. After that, we’ll cover the ten most useful questions in Finnish for beginners. And of course, we’ll go over a number of ways to answer each question, so that you can always be ready with a reply!

Table of Contents

1. How to Ask Questions in Finnish
2. The 10 Most Common Questions in Finnish
3. Conclusion

Asking and answering questions keeps a conversation going!

1. How to Ask Questions in Finnish

Before you learn the ten most common Finnish language questions, we’ll take a brief look at the two main ways to form questions in Finnish.

A – Creating closed questions

Closed questions—questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no”—are very easy to form in Finnish! All you need to do is take a statement, place the verb at the beginning, and add -ko or -kö to the end of the verb.

The correct ending is determined by vowel harmony. The rule of thumb is: if the word contains back vowels (a, o, u), choose -ko; if the word contains front vowels (ä, ö, y) or only neutral vowels (i, e), choose -kö.  

Here are a few examples:

• Se on totta. (“It is true.”)

Now, begin the question with the verb (on) and add the correct ending (-ko) to the verb.

• Onko se totta? (“Is it true?”)

Another example:

• Sinä pidät kahvista. (“You like coffee.”)
• Pidätkö sinä kahvista? (“Do you like coffee?”)

Let’s see how you can answer this important question!

i- Affirmative Answers

When the answer is “yes,” you can simply use the word kyllä (“yes”), or the colloquial joo. It’s also common to simply repeat the verb and drop the word kyllä altogether—just remember to conjugate the verb correctly!

•  Pidätkö sinä kahvista? (“Do you like coffee?”)
  
  ► Kyllä. (“Yes.”)
  ►Pidän. (“Yes.” Literally: “I like.”)

ii- Negative Answers

When the answer is ei (“no”), things get a little bit trickier. It’s important to remember that the negative verb in Finnish is conjugated in the six personal forms, like this: en, et, ei, emme, ette, eivät. We’ll take a look at three different ways to say that you don’t like coffee.

1. Use ei (“no”), the conjugated form of the negative verb, and the main verb:

► Ei, en pidä kahvista. (“No, I don’t like coffee.”)

2. Use the conjugated form of the negative verb and the main verb:

► En pidä. (“No.” Literally: “I don’t like.”)

3. Use just the conjugated form of the negative verb:

► En. (“No.” Literally: “I don’t.”)

Ei, en pidä kahvista. (“No, I don’t like coffee.”)

B – Finnish Question Words

Finnish question words (we’re sorry to say) are not as straightforward as the English ones. One reason for this is that some of the Finnish question words are inflected and have multiple cases. For a beginner, it’s best to focus on the most common question words first. You can dive into the deep end after you’ve mastered the basics!

 1. Kuka? / Ketkä? (“Who?” Singular / Plural)

•  Kuka on Suomen pääministeri? (“Who is Finland’s prime minister?”)
  ► Sanna Marin. (“Sanna Marin.”)

•  Ketkä ovat tulossa mukaan? (“Who is coming along?”)
  ► Sini ja Pekka. (“Sini and Pekka.”)

 2. Mikä? / Mitä? (“What?”)

•  Mikä se on? (“What is it?”)
  ► Se on kissanpentu. (“It’s a kitten.”)

• Mitä sinä sanoit? (“What did you say?”)
  ► Sanoin, että haluan mennä ulos. (“I said that I want to go out.”)

(Note that mikä usually refers to defined, concrete things, while mitä usually refers to uncountable, abstract things.)

 3. Missä? (“Where?”)

•  Missä sinä asut? (“Where do you live?”)
  ► Asun Oulussa. (“I live in Kallio.”)

 4. Miksi? (“Why?”)

•  Miksi et soittanut minulle? (“Why didn’t you call me?”)
  ► Koska unohdin, että lupasin soittaa. (“Because I forgot that I promised to call.”)

 5. Milloin? (“When?”)

•  Milloin lentokone laskeutuu? (“When does the airplane land?”)
  ► Puolen tunnin päästä. (“In half an hour.”)

6. Kuinka? / Miten? (“How?”)

•  Miten voin auttaa? (“How can I help?”)
  ► Voit auttaa viemällä roskat ulos. (“You can help by taking the trash out.”)

•  Kuinka kuumaa saunassa on? (“How hot is it in the sauna?”)
  ► Saunassa on 80 astetta. (“It’s 80 degrees in the sauna.”)

Note that in most cases, kuinka and miten are interchangeable with no difference in meaning. So pick your favorite!

Mitä sinä sanoit? (“What did you say?”)

2. The 10 Most Common Questions in Finnish

With a bit of practice, you’ll be able to form endless closed Finnish language questions. In addition, learning the most important question words by heart will be of great help in all of your Finnish interactions. Pretty neat, huh?

Now we’ll focus on the ten most common Finnish conversational questions and answers that you’re bound to use sooner or later.

1 – What’s your name?

You’ve met a Finnish person—wonderful! Let’s get to know them. This is how you ask “What’s your name?” in Finnish, and how you can answer the same question.

•  Mikä sinun nimesi on? (“What’s your name?”) – Casual
• Mikä teidän nimenne on? (“What’s your name?”) – Formal

To answer this Finnish question, you could simply state your name. But to give a full answer, say: Minun nimeni on… (“My name is…”). You can also drop the word minun because the possessive suffix in nimeni  already communicates whose name you’re talking about.

► Minun nimeni on Anna. (“My name is Anna.”) 

► Nimeni on Anna. (“[My] name is Anna.”)

 On our website, you can find more handy Finnish phrases to use when introducing yourself.

2 – Where are you from?

Finns will be curious about where you’re from—and perhaps you’re curious about which city your Finnish friend comes from. This question covers both situations:

• Mistä sinä olet kotoisin? (“Where are you from?”) – Casual
• Mistä te olette kotoisin? (“Where are you from?”) – Formal

Note: In Finnish language questions, the pronouns are sometimes left out, as the verb already gives information about the pronoun. For example, “Where are you from?” can simply be expressed as Mistä olet kotoisin? or Mistä olette kotoisin?

 You can also be more specific:

• Mistä maasta (sinä) olet kotoisin? (“Which country are you from?”)
• Mistä päin Suomea sinä olet kotoisin? (“Which part of Finland are you from?”)
• Mistä kaupungista sinä olet kotoisin? (“Which city are you from?”)

Answers to the previous questions start with Olen kotoisin… (“I’m from…”). The place (country, region, or city) will usually be in the elative case (-sta/-stä), although the names of some towns may be in the adessive case instead (-lta/-ltä).

► Olen kotoisin Saksasta. (“I’m from Germany.”)
► Olen kotoisin Pohjois-Karjalasta. (“I’m from North Karelia.”)
► Olen kotoisin Tampereelta. (“I’m from Tampere.”)

Mistä maasta sinä olet kotoisin? (“Which country are you from?”)

What about India and Argentina? Learn the Finnish names of some other countries on FinnishPod101.com.

3 – Do you speak Finnish?

Here’s another question you may find yourself asking and answering a lot when meeting new people:

• Puhutko sinä suomea? (“Do you speak Finnish?”) – Casual
• Puhutteko te suomea? (“Do you speak Finnish?”) – Formal
• Puhutko sinä englantia? (“Do you speak English?”)

Remember those tips we covered about answering closed questions? Now’s a good time to review them! Simple answers look like this:

► Kyllä, puhun suomea. (“Yes, I speak Finnish.”)

► Ei, en puhu englantia. (“No, I don’t speak English.”)

These answers indicate how well you speak the language in question:

► Kyllä, mutta vain vähän. (“Yes, but only a little.”)

► Kyllä, jonkin verran. (“Yes, some.”)

► Kyllä, puhun suomea sujuvasti. (“Yes, I speak Finnish fluently.”)

► Kyllä, englanti on äidinkieleni. (“Yes, English is my mother tongue.”)

Look up the Finnish names of thirty-eight different languages with our free vocabulary list! 

4 – How are you?

Vaihdetaan kuulumisia! (“Let’s exchange news!”) 

When we ask someone how they are in Finnish, we use the verb kuulua (“to be heard”).

• Mitä sinulle kuuluu? (“How are you?”) – Casual
• Mitä teille kuuluu? (“How are you?”) – Formal
• Mitä kuuluu? (“How are you?”)

The typical answer that suits most situations is simply composed of kiitos (“thank you”) and Minulle kuuluu hyvää (“I’m good”). With close friends and family, you can go into more detail!

► Kiitos, minulle kuuluu hyvää. (“I’m good, thank you.”)

► Kiitos ihan hyvää. Entä sinulle? (“Pretty good, thank you. What about you?”)

Here’s an alternative way to ask the question:

• Miten menee? (“How’s it going?”)
  
  ► Hyvin, kiitos. (“I’m well, thank you.”)
  ► Ei hassummin. Entä sinulla? (“Not bad. How about you?”)

Learn more relevant Finnish phrases, and listen to this audio lesson to learn how to give a vague answer when you don’t feel like sharing!

5 – What do you do for a living?

When talking with someone, work will often come up as a topic. Here are a few different ways you can ask someone about their work or profession:

• Mikä sinun ammattisi on? (“What’s your profession?”) – Casual
• Mikä teidän ammattinne on? (“What’s your profession?”) – Formal

Answering this one is easy! Just put together Olen (“I am”) and your profession. For example:

► Olen valokuvaaja. (“I’m a photographer.”)

► Olen myyntiapulainen. (“I’m a sales assistant.”)

• Mitä (sinä) teet työksesi? (“What do you do for a living?”) – Casual
• Mitä (te) teette työksenne? (“What do you do for a living?”) – Formal

The answer to this one is also pretty straightforward. Note that the subject in these answers is in the partitive case. 

► Opetan ruotsia. (“I teach Swedish.”)
► Kävelytän koiria. (“I walk dogs.”)

• Millä alalla (sinä) olet töissä? (“What field do you work in?”) – Casual
• Millä alalla (te) olette töissä? (“What field do you work in?”) – Formal

Begin your answer with Olen töissä (“I work [in]”) followed by your ala (“field”) in the adessive case.

► Olen töissä muotialalla. (“I work in fashion.”)
► Olen töissä IT-alalla. (“I work in IT.”)

Olen valokuvaaja. (“I’m a photographer.”)

Learn even more Finnish words for different occupations on our website! 

6 – What are your hobbies?

Meet the verb harrastaa. It refers to doing something you’re interested in on a regular basis, usually in your free time. All of that packed into one little word! Think of it as “enjoy something (as a hobby).” (By the way, the word for “a hobby” is harrastus.)

• Mitä sinä harrastat? (“What do you enjoy as a hobby?”) – Casual
• Mitä te harrastatte? (“What do you enjoy as a hobby?”) – Formal

• Mitä harrastuksia sinulla on? (“What hobbies do you have?”) – Casual
• Mitä harrastuksia teillä on? (“What hobbies do you have?”) – Formal

• Mitä (sinä) teet vapaa-ajallasi? (“What do you do in your free time?”) – Casual
• Mitä (te) teette vapaa-ajallanne? (“What do you do in your free time?”) – Formal

To answer any of the above questions, you can use the verb harrastan (“I enjoy as a hobby”) or another verb like pelaan (“I play”), followed by the activity in the partitive case. For example:

► Harrastan kansantanssia ja maalausta. (“I enjoy folk dancing and painting.”)

► Pelaan jääkiekkoa. (“I play ice hockey.”)

Pelaan jääkiekkoa. (“I play ice-hockey.”)

Learn more Finnish words for different hobbies, and ace your pronunciation with the help of the audio recordings.

7 – What time is it?

Imagine that you’ve just landed at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport after a long flight and want to double-check the local time. Or maybe someone just asks you what the time is! No problem. If that happens, you’ll already have learned how to ask and answer questions about time in Finnish.

Note that when talking about the time, Finns say kello (“clock”) instead of aika (“time”).

These three questions are interchangeable:

• Mitä kello on? (“What time is it?”)
• Kuinka paljon kello on? (“What time is it?”)
• Paljonko kello on? (“What time is it?”)

You can begin with Kello on (“The time is”) or Se on (“It is”), but it’s also fine to simply state the time!

► Kello on kymmenen aamulla/illalla. (“It’s ten a.m./p.m.”)

► Kello on tasan kaksitoista. (“It’s exactly twelve o’clock.”)

► Se on puoli neljä. (“It’s half past three.” Literally: “It’s half four.”)

► Se on varttia vaille kuusi. (“It’s a quarter to six.”)

► Viisi minuuttia yli yhdeksän. (“Five minutes past nine.”)

Pay close attention to puoli (“half”) here. While in English, 3:30 is “half past three,” in Finnish it’s puoli neljä (“half four”)!

Here’s more useful Finnish vocabulary related to time, and here’s another list for numbers in Finnish.

Kello on tasan 12 (kaksitoista). (“It’s exactly twelve o’clock.”)

8 – What are you doing? 

Here’s how you can ask somebody what they’re doing in Finnish, and how to answer the question yourself.

• Mitä sinä teet? (“What are you doing?”) – Casual
• Mitä te teette? (“What are you doing?”) – Formal or plural

You could answer this with just one word, for example Juoksen (“I’m running”), but your answer will often consist of a verb and an object in the partitive case.

► Opiskelen suomea. (“I’m studying Finnish.”)

► Katson televisiota. (“I’m watching TV.”)

► Syömme aamupalaa. (“We’re eating breakfast.”)

► Suunnittelemme huomista retkeä. (“We’re planning tomorrow’s trip.”)

Syömme aamupalaa. (“We’re having breakfast.”)

 9 – How do you say this in Finnish? 

Can’t remember a word in Finnish? Want to learn a new expression? Here’s how you can ask your Finnish friends to teach you specific words and phrases!

• Mitä tämä on suomeksi? (“What is this in Finnish?”)
• Mitä on “parliament” suomeksi? (“What is ‘parliament’ in Finnish?”)
• Miten sanotaan “it’s complicated” in Finnish? (“How do you say ‘it’s complicated’ in Finnish?”) 

The key words to remember here are on suomeksi (“is in Finnish”). Not complicated at all!

► “Parliament” on suomeksi eduskunta. (“‘Parliament’ is ‘eduskunta’ in Finnish.”)

► “It’s complicated” on suomeksi “se on monimutkaista.” (“‘It’s complicated’ is ‘se on monimutkaista’ in Finnish.”)

10 – How much is it? 

If you’re spending any amount of time in Finland, you’ll most likely need to buy (ostaa) something, so it’ll be useful to know how to ask for prices! 

Confusingly, the verb we’re using this time, maksaa, means both “to cost” and “to pay”! To ask “how much,” you can use the words kuinka paljon or mitä or paljonko.

• Kuinka paljon se maksaa? (“How much does it cost?”)
• Anteeksi, mitä tämä maksaa? (“Excuse me, what does this cost?”)
• Paljonko maksaa kuppi kahvia? (“How much does a cup of coffee cost?”)

The phrase you’ll want to memorize is Se maksaa… (“It costs…”). However, it’ll be useful to be aware of a few alternatives too:

► Se maksaa 5 (viisi) euroa. (“It costs 5€.”)
► Se tekee yhteensä 10 (kymmenen) euroa. (“It’s 10€ altogether.”)
► Hinta on 12 (kaksitoista) euroa/päivä. (“The price is 12€/day.”)

Watch this short video on FinnishPod101.com to learn more about the Finnish currency (euro) and how to talk about prices.

Kuinka paljon se maksaa? (“How much is it?”)

3. Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve covered a simple way to turn a statement into a question, the basic Finnish question words, and the ten most common questions you’ll want to memorize before your next Finnish conversation.

To practice, try writing a Finnish question and answer from this article in the comments section. We look forward to seeing how you do! 

We hope you’re feeling more confident asking and answering questions and that you’re just buzzing to go out there and use your skills in real life. Keep practicing—we’ll see you back at FinnishPod101.com soon for another Finnish lesson!

Whether you’re looking for more information about the official Finnish Language Proficiency Test (YKI), or are already busy studying for the exam, our comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about the test.

We’ll start by looking at the benefits of taking this test and how you can register for it. Then we’ll dive into the details about the test itself, and wrap up with useful tips on preparing for the YKI!

Table of Contents

1. What is YKI?
2. How Do You Pass the YKI?
3. Conclusion

1. What is YKI?

YKI (Yleinen Kielitutkinto) is the National Certificate of Language Proficiency in the Finnish language. The YKI test is intended for adults who wish to demonstrate their Finnish language skills, and anyone is welcome to sign up for the exam. (Note that YKI tests are also offered in eight other languages.)

But how long is the YKI test valid? The official certificate—issued by the University of Jyväskylä and sanctioned by opetusministeriö (the Finnish Ministry of Education)—remains valid for life, making it an excellent way to prove your proficiency in Finnish.

A- What are the levels of the YKI exam?

The test follows a standardized format that’s in accordance with the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The three proficiency levels of YKI—basic, intermediate, and advanced—can be further divided into six proficiency levels that correspond to the classification system of CEFR.

• CEFR A1 – National Certificate 1 (Basic)
• CEFR A2 – National Certificate 2 (Basic)
• CEFR B1 – National Certificate 3 (Intermediate)
• CEFR B2 – National Certificate 4 (Intermediate)
• CEFR C1 – National Certificate 5 (Advanced)
• CEFR C2 – National Certificate 6 (Advanced)

The “basic” YKI test level is intended for people who can handle everyday situations in Finnish. The “intermediate” level is for people who can speak the language with some confidence. The “advanced” level is for people who speak the language extremely well. Familiarize yourself with the requirements for each level in order to decide which one is most appropriate for you before registering.

It may also be good to take a test to determine your current proficiency level. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a Finnish language professional, you could ask them to help assess your level.

B- Why should you take the YKI exam?

Passing the exam and getting your hands on an official YKI certificate can come in handy in several situations, such as if you plan to:

• Study in a Finnish university
• Apply for a job in Finland
• Qualify for a language bonus at your job
• Apply for a Finnish citizenship

Always check to see if you need a certificate at a specific level before taking the test! For example, if you want to apply for a Finnish citizenship, you’ll need to pass both the written and oral components of your YKI exam at the intermediate level (proficiency level 3 or 4).

If, at this point, you’ve realized that you don’t actually need an official YKI certificate, but would still love to take a Finnish test online, consider completing a free language portfolio test on FinnishPod101.com. The exam is available to Premium PLUS subscribers—simply ask your teacher, who’ll be very happy to help!

You need to pass the YKI language test to apply for Finnish citizenship.

C- What’s included in the YKI Finnish language test?

The YKI Finnish language exam includes the following sections:

1. Tekstin ymmärtäminen (Reading comprehension)

2. Kirjoittaminen (Writing)

3. Puheen ymmärtäminen (Listening comprehension)

4. Puhuminen (Speaking)

Each section is timed, and the exam will take 3.5 to 4 hours to complete at the basic and intermediate levels, and 5 to 6 hours at the advanced level. No score is given—your certificate will simply state at which level you passed the exam.

The YKI focuses on practical, everyday situations, such as making a GP appointment or writing a letter to a friend. In other words, it’s not necessary to be familiar with any special jargon or the Finnish culture to pass the language test.

Find more details about the different components of the YKI test on the University of Jyväskylä website. You’ll also find useful YKI test samples there that will help you become familiar with the types of texts, recordings, and questions that you’re likely to come across when you take the real exam.

D- How and where do you take the test?

The YKI Finnish language test is offered in dozens of test centers across Finland. (Unfortunately, you can’t do the test outside of Finland!)

You can find the YKI test dates and locations for all upcoming tests here. Choose your language (suomi) and your level in order to see where and when future tests will be held.

Take note of the registration period, and be aware that the intermediate-level (keskitaso) tests are hugely popular, so try to sign up as soon as possible!

When registering, contact the test center directly by phone or email to confirm that they have some places left. If they do, you can go ahead and submit a registration form and arrange to pay the registration fee.

Registration fees are as follows:

• Basic Level: 100 euros
• Intermediate Level: 123 euros
• Advanced Level: 160 euros

Finally, if you have special needs, such as dyslexia or a hearing impairment, you can request special arrangements to help you complete the test. You’ll need to fill in an extra form and submit it alongside a medical certificate (or an equivalent document) when registering for your test.

2. How Do You Pass the YKI?

Now let’s take a look at the different sections of the official Finnish language test in more detail. We’ll cover the YKI test format, what you’ll need to know about each part of the exam, and how you can best prepare in advance to boost your chances of success.

1 – Reading Comprehension

Duration: 60 minutes, 6 exercises

The Test

In the reading comprehension part of the test, you’ll read six different texts and answer questions about them. The types of texts you might encounter include letters, emails, adverts, newspaper articles, and stories. 

You’ll be answering a combination of multiple-choice questions, true-or-false questions, and open-ended questions. At the advanced level, you may also be asked to write a short summary of a text. 

Pro-Tips

• Make sure you answer every question, even when you’re not sure about it—incorrect answers are not penalized.
• Remember that you only have about ten minutes per text.

How to Practice

• Keep reading a variety of written material, from blogs to comics, on a number of different subjects.
• Newspaper articles are a YKI staple, so make sure some of your reading material is from sites like Selkosanomat (a news site in simple, uncomplicated Finnish).
• For more of a challenge, read Helsingin Sanomat (Finland’s largest subscription newspaper).

Reading a wide range of material is one of the best ways to prepare for YKI.

2 – Writing

Duration: 55 minutes, 3 exercises

The Test

In the writing part of the exam, you’ll be asked to compose three different texts. The subject matter of these tasks varies, but depending on your level, you might be asked to write an informal message, an opinion piece, or a job application. The last task is typically an opinion piece—you’ll be given two topics to choose from.

Pro-Tips

• You must complete all three tasks to pass this section.
• Make sure your handwriting is legible!
• Writing text that’s understandable and written in an appropriate tone is more important than perfect grammar.
• Jot down a brief outline before you start writing each piece.

How to Practice

• Plan in advance how you’re going to structure different types of texts, and compose letters, emails, and opinion pieces.
• Learn and memorize various ways of expressing an opinion in Finnish.
• Read real-life opinion pieces and reviews.

If you’re a Premium PLUS subscriber, ask your teacher to give you feedback on your practice pieces.

Why not start a journal in Finnish to practice your writing skills?

3 – Listening 

Duration: around 40 minutes, 7 questions

The Test

In the listening comprehension part of the test, you’ll listen to four different recordings. The types of recordings you may hear include announcements, commercials, interviews, and conversations. At the basic and intermediate levels, you’ll listen to each recording twice.

Pro-Tips

• Answer all questions, even when you’re not sure—incorrect answers are not penalized.
• Pay attention to the instructions on the tape as well as those in your answer booklet.
• Although the recordings focus on everyday situations, be aware that you may hear different dialects and slang words.

How to Practice

• Make use of FinnishPod101’s large selection of audio and video lessons.
• Tune into a Finnish radio station as often as you can! Get started with Selkouutiset at Yle Areena (news in simple Finnish), or head over to Yle Puhe for interesting discussions on everything from cookery and the environment to politics and sports.
• To put your comprehension skills to the test, try out these exercises.
• Find a Finnish TV show or cartoon that you enjoy watching so you can improve your listening skills almost effortlessly!

When you’ve got that ‘passed the listening test’ feeling!

4 – Speaking

Duration: around 25 minutes, including the preparation

The Test

The speaking section of the test takes place in a language lab. There are four parts, which include taking part in a recorded conversation and preparing a speech about a specific topic.

At the advanced level, the test also includes a face-to-face interview, which will be filmed.

Pro-Tips

• Always say something—it’s better to make mistakes than to stay quiet!
• Try to avoid giving extremely short answers.
• Enunciate and speak loudly.
• Stick to the correct topic.
• Check your answer booklet to find out how long you’ll be speaking in each part.

How to Practice

• When listening to the radio or watching a TV show, come up with your own answers and comments in response to what you hear.
• If you can practice with a native Finnish speaker, do it as often as you can!
• Speak out loud to practice your Finnish pronunciation.

If you’re a Premium PLUS subscriber, record yourself and have your teacher evaluate your pronunciation.

The more you practice in advance, the more confident you’ll feel on the big day!

3. Conclusion

You’ve now made it to the end of our YKI guide and should have a pretty good idea if this Finnish language proficiency test is for you! And if you’re all fired up and determined to pass the exam, rest assured that your hard work will pay off. So keep practicing those reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

FinnishPod101.com has a large range of valuable resources, from vocabulary lists to fun audio lessons, to help you become confident in every aspect of the Finnish language. And if you’d prefer tailored one-on-one tuition and guidance from an experienced Finnish teacher, our Premium PLUS learning system has everything you need to ace the YKI exam.

Which part of the exam do you think will be the easiest for you? Which part do you feel the most nervous about?

The dreary, freezing Finnish winters are not without their joys! In Finland, like many other countries around the world, the winter season also means the arrival of seasonal fun and heartwarming holidays.

St. Lucy’s Day is one such holiday, acting as a symbolic light in the dark for the country. In this article, you’ll learn about the origins of this holiday, how it’s celebrated today, and more fun facts. 

Are you ready? Let’s get started.

1. What is Saint Lucy’s Day?

In Finland, St. Lucia’s Day is a Catholic holiday that takes place each year on December 13. 

It’s observed in commemoration of Saint Lucy, a fourth-century Christian martyr often associated with valo (“light”) and well-known for her good deeds. She is also known as being the patron saint of the blind and the visually impaired.

According to legend, Lucy had taken a vow of virginity, but her mother wanted her to marry and arranged a marriage for her. Lucy angered the man she was to marry by openly rejecting the idea of marriage, driving him to inform the government officials of her Christian status. She was then poorly treated and murdered for her beliefs. Another story claims that she once helped other Christians who were hiding in dark catacombs by wearing a crown of lighted candles on her head and bringing supplies to them.

Today, Finns see St. Lucy as being light in the pimeys (“darkness”), a connotation especially powerful in a country that often sees long days of darkness contrasted by long days of light. In fact, the name “Lucia” is derived from the Latin word for light: ‘lux.’ The saint’s name could also be translated, in Finnish, as Valotar.

This holiday is more popular in other Nordic countries than it is in Finland. The Finns were introduced to this holiday by the Swedes, who had been introduced to it by Christian missionaries years before. Even today, St. Lucia’s Day tends to be more popular among Swedish-speaking areas of Finland than anywhere else in the country.

→ Do you want to brace yourself for the cold winter days of Finland? See our vocabulary lists for Winter and Winter Clothes!

2. How to Celebrate St. Lucia’s Day 

There are several St. Lucy’s Day celebrations and traditions in Finland. 

The most important of them all is the choosing of the Lucia-neito (“Lucia-maiden”), a young woman chosen from a selected few. She dresses in a valkoinen (“white”) dress with a punainen (“red”) sash; the white represents purity and light, while the red represents St. Lucy’s martyrdom. The chosen Lucia-maiden is crowned on the steps of the Helsinki Cathedral and then proceeds to participate in the procession around Helsinki. Later, she goes on to perform a number of good deeds, such as visiting hospitals, prisons, and children’s homes to sing and hand out Lucia buns. Finally, the maiden is able to visit the President of the Republic.

Throughout the country, schools often have their own unofficial contests for Lucia-maiden. The winner will dress similarly to how the official maiden does, and take part in a local procession or play. 

The Lucia pulla (“bun”) is the most popular food item on this holiday. These St. Lucy’s Day buns are made with saffron and are often handed out to loved ones to make the holiday more enjoyable for everyone! 

→ Curious to learn more about Finnish sweets? Check out our Culture Class lesson on Finnish Sweets and Desserts. 😉

3. Songs of the Sea

Each year, the crowned Lucia-maiden sings a song called Santa Lucia. You may be surprised to find out that this song doesn’t refer to the saint at all!

This was originally an Italian tune sung by fishermen to describe the beauty of Santa Lucia’s seascape. 

4. Essential Finnish Vocabulary for St. Lucia’s Day

Let’s review some of the vocabulary words from this article!

• Valkoinen – “White”
• Punainen –  “Red”
• Tonttu – “Elf”
• Pyhimys – “Saint”
• Valo – “Light”
• Kynttilä – “Candle”
• Pimeys – “Darkness”
• Pulla – “Bun”
• Kulkue – “Procession”
• Lucia-neito – “Lucia maiden”

Remember that you can find each of these words along with their pronunciation on our St. Lucy’s Day vocabulary list.

Final Thoughts

While St. Lucy’s Day isn’t as popular in Finland as it is in other Nordic and heavily Catholic countries, it still marks a significant date for much of the country. 

We hope you enjoyed learning about St. Lucia’s Day with us, and that you were able to take away some valuable cultural information. If you want to learn even more about Finnish culture and the language, FinnishPod101.com has several blog posts we think you’ll find interesting:

• Itsenäisyyspäivä: How to Celebrate Finnish Independence Day
• Loppiainen: The Feast of the Epiphany in Finland
• Laskiaissunnuntai: Celebrating Shrove Sunday in Finland
• Summer Solstice Celebration: Midsummer Day in Finland
• Essential Vocabulary for Life Events in Finnish

Learning a new language isn’t easy, but you’re already on the right track. With FinnishPod101.com, you can learn Finnish in the fastest, easiest, and most fun way possible with lessons for learners at every level. Create your free lifetime account today, and see how much your skills improve. 

Happy St. Lucia’s Day from the FinnishPod101 team!

Are you eager to start speaking in Finnish, but worry that you’ll need to tackle a ton of complex grammar rules first? You’ll be glad to hear that the best way to learn a language is actually to jump straight in and start speaking it as soon as possible. And learning the most common Finnish sentence patterns is a great way to start!

Our guide will walk you through the top ten sentence patterns that you’ll be using again and again in everyday conversations with Finns. We’ll be keeping things fairly basic so that you can get started fast!

Table of Contents

1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B
2. Describing Things: A is [Adjective]
3. Expressing “Want”: I Want (to)…
4. Expressing “Need”: I Need (to)… / I Have to…
5. Expressing “Like”: I Like (to)… / I Love (to)…
6. Confirming That You Can Do Something: I Can…
7. Stating How You’re Feeling: I Am… / I Feel…
8. The 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and How
9. Asking for Permission: Can I…? / Could I…?
10. Turning a Statement into a Question: Do You…?
11. Final Thoughts

1. Linking Two Nouns: A is B

Here’s a very simple Finnish language sentence structure that allows you to link two nouns. The verb we’re using is olla (“to be”).

• Matti on ystäväni. (“Matti is my friend.”)
• Siskoni on insinööri. (“My sister is an engineer.”)
• Tämä on työpaikkani. (“This is my workplace.”)
• Helsinki on Suomen pääkaupunki. (“Helsinki is Finland’s capital city.”)
• Se oli hyvä idea. (“It was a good idea.”)

Notice the use of the possessive suffix -ni in the first three examples. In these examples, the possessive suffix stands for the English word “my.” You can also add the word minun (“my”) and say minun ystäväni (“my friend”), but it isn’t necessary. 

For more about Finnish possessive suffixes, look at the relevant section of this Wikipedia page.To get you started on creating more sentences like those above, take a look at our collection of 100 Finnish core words. And here, you can find how to conjugate the verb olla (“to be”) for even more possibilities.

Helsinki on Suomen pääkaupunki. (“Helsinki is Finland’s capital city.”)

2. Describing Things: A is [Adjective]

We’ll stick to the verb olla (“to be”) for now, but this time, we’ll use it with an adjective.

• Henri on komea. (“Henri is handsome.”)
• Tämä auto on uusi. (“This car is new.”)
• Huomisen tapaaminen on erittäin tärkeä. (“Tomorrow’s meeting is extremely important.”)
• Sinä olet todella ystävällinen. (“You are really friendly.”)
• Elokuva, jonka katsoimme eilen, oli pelottava. (“The film we watched yesterday was scary.”)

But wait, what if you want to say that A is not B? In that case, you need to inflect the negative particle ei (“no”) and use the present base form of olla (“to be”):

• Minä en ole kotona. (“I am not home.”)
• Sinä et ole opiskelija. (“You are not a student.”)
• Se ei ole totta. (“It’s not true.”)
• Me emme ole lomalla. (“We are not on holiday.”)
• Te ette ole nukkumassa. (“You are not sleeping.” – plural or polite singular “you”)
• He eivät ole valmiita lähtemään. (“They are not ready to go.”)

Why not put together some of your own Finnish phrases and sentences? Get creative using this list of the most common Finnish adjectives!

Minä en ole kotona. (“I am not home.”)

3. Expressing “Want”: I Want (to)…

Whether you’re in a restaurant or at a friend’s place, being able to say what you want in Finnish will come in handy for sure! We’ll use the verb haluta (“to want”), and will cover a direct way (expressed with the indicative mood) and a more polite way (expressed with the conditional mood) to express want:

• Minä haluan… (“I want…”)
• Minä haluaisin… (“I would like…”)

Here are some Finnish sentence examples:

• Minä haluan hernekeittoa. (“I want pea soup.”)
• Minä haluan nähdä sinut. (“I want to see you.”)
• Minä haluan tulla mukaan. (“I want to come along.”)

And a few examples using the more polite haluaisin (“I would like”):

• Minä haluaisin tilata. (“I would like to order.”)
• Minä haluaisin ehdottaa jotakin. (“I would like to suggest something.”)
• Minä haluaisin että tulet häihimme. (“I would like you to come to our wedding.”)

Tip: It’s fine to drop the word minä (“I”) in these examples, because it’s already obvious from the conjugation of the verb that you’re talking about yourself.

And of course, it can be equally important to say when you don’t want something! Simply replace haluan (“I want”) with en halua (“I don’t want”).

• En halua lähteä ulos tänään. (“I don’t want to go out today.”)

Fancy trying some traditional Finnish dishes (besides pea soup)? Learn more about Finnish food in this lesson.

4. Expressing “Need”: I Need (to)… / I Have to…

Being able to say what you need is even more important than being able to express what you want! Just think of how often you end up looking for a bathroom in an unfamiliar city…

We’ll tackle “I need” and “I need to” separately. First, let’s take a look at how to use the verb tarvita (“to need”) with a noun. 

• Tarvitsen kahvia. (“I need coffee.”)
• Tarvitsen lisää aikaa. (“I need more time.”)
• Tarvitsemme parempia ideoita. (“We need better ideas.”)
• Tarvitsen uuden passin. (“I need a new passport.”)
• Tarvitsemme vastauksen pian. (“We need an answer soon.”)

In the first three examples, the noun is in the partitive case, and in the last two, the accusative case. (Learn more about Finnish noun cases on Wikipedia.)

Next, we’ll take a look at how to say that you need to do something. It’s a bit more complicated! 

Construct a sentence like this: 

The subject of the sentence in the genitive case, e.g. minun / sinun / meidän (“my” / “your” / “our”) + pitää / täytyy (“have to”) + a verb in the infinitive form.

• Anteeksi, minun pitää lähteä. (“Sorry, I have to leave.”)
• Minun pitää käydä vessassa. (“I have to go to the toilet.”)
• Sinun täytyy tehdä jotakin. (“You have to do something.”)
• Sinun täytyy harjoitella lisää jos haluat onnistua. (“You have to practice more if you want to succeed.”)
• Meidän täytyy vain yrittää uudestaan. (“We just have to try again.”)

Not a fan of coffee? Learn words for other drinks in Finnish.

Minä tarvitsen kahvia! (“I need coffee!”)

5. Expressing “Like”: I Like (to)… / I Love (to)…

Are you eager to get talking about all the things you enjoy and are passionate about? Then this section is for you!

The verbs we’ll focus on are pitää or tykätä (“to like”) and rakastaa (“to love”).

Let’s take a look at some examples of the Finnish sentence structure using pitää (“to like”) + a noun in the elative case:

• Minä pidän hänestä. (“I like him/her.”)
• Minä pidän intialaisesta ruoasta. (“I like Indian food.”)
• Minä pidän raittiista ilmasta. (“I like fresh air.”)
• Minä pidän haastavista lautapeleistä. (“I like challenging board games.”)
• Minä pidän oluesta, mutta juon mieluummin viiniä. (“I like beer, but prefer to drink wine.”)

A common way to express that you like doing something in spoken language is to use the verb tykätä (“to like”) + a verb in the infinitive form:

• Minä tykkään laittaa ruokaa. (“I like to cook.”)
• Minä tykkään herätä aikaisin. (“I like to wake up early.”)
• Minä tykkään poimia marjoja. (“I like picking berries.”)
• Minä tykkään kuunnella rock-musiikkia. (“I like to listen to rock music.”)
• Minä tykkään neuloa sukkia lapsilleni. (“I like to knit socks for my children.”)

If you truly love something or want to emphasize just how much you like it, you can use the verb rakastaa (“to love”) + a noun in the partitive case or a verb in the infinitive form:

• Minä rakastan sinua. (“I love you.”)
• Minä rakastan perhettäni. (“I love my family.”)
• Minä rakastan puhua filosofiasta samanhenkisten ihmisten kanssa. (“I love to talk about philosophy with like-minded people.”)

 Dating a Finn? Then you’ll need this lesson on romantic words!

Minä rakastan perhettäni. (“I love my family.”)

6. Confirming That You Can Do Something: I Can…

A word of warning: Finns are usually very modest and aren’t fans of excessive bragging! However, there are situations in which it’s very useful to be able to state that you can do something.

All of these three verbs mean “can,” but note the slight differences in meaning:

• Osata (“have the skills to”)
• Pystyä (“have the ability to”)
• Voida (“to be willing to”)

Let’s look at some specific examples:

• Minä osaan uida. (“I can swim.”)
• Minä osaan puhua suomea. (“I can speak Finnish.”)

• Minä pystyn siihen! (“I can do it!”)
• Minä pystyn olemaan hiljaa, jos todella yritän. (“I can be quiet if I really try.”)

• Minä voin auttaa sinua. (“I can help you.”)
• Minä voin tulla sinua asemalle vastaan. (“I can come and meet you at the station.”) 

These sports are popular in Finland—can you play any of them?

 7. Stating How You’re Feeling: I Am… / I Feel…

Letting others know how we feel can be really important sometimes! And sometimes, it’s very simple. Just look at these straightforward examples:

• Minä olen onnellinen. (“I am happy.”)
• Minä olen surullinen. (“I am sad.”)

However, when talking about how you’re feeling (especially physically), you’ll typically want to use the following sentence structure:

Minulla on (“I have”) + a noun in the nominative case, such as nälkä (“hunger”). 

Let’s take a look at some examples:

• Minulla on nälkä. (“I am hungry.”)
• Minulla on huono olo. (“I am feeling unwell.”)
• Minulla on ikävä sinua. (“I miss you.”)

Learn more words and phrases to describe how you’re feeling, and prepare for emergencies by learning these important phrases.

Minulla on nälkä. (“I am hungry.”)

8. The 5 Ws (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and How

Whether you need to ask for directions or want to get to know someone better, learning how to ask questions should be a top priority for anyone learning Finnish! We’ll get you started by covering the most important question words and how to use them.

• Kuka (“Who”)
• Mikä / Mitä (“What”)
• Milloin (“When”)
• Missä (“Where”)
• Miksi (“Why”)
• Miten (“How”)

Note that question words can be singular or plural, and used in different cases—we’ll keep things simple and focus on the most basic ones here. FinnishPod101.com has more relevant lessons on how to use question words that you can check out, though. Why not start with the word “what”?

 Here are the question words we mentioned in action: 

• Kuka on Suomen presidentti? (“Who is Finland’s president?”)
• Mikä on hyvä lahja 5-vuotiaalle? (“What is a good gift for a 5-year-old?”)
• Mitä tämä tarkoittaa? (“What does this mean?”)
• Milloin pääset töistä? (“When do you get off work?”)
• Missä haluaisit tavata? (“Where would you like to meet?”)
• Miksi et tullut juhliimme? (“Why didn’t you come to our party?”)
• Miten pääsen täältä keskustaan? (“How do I get from here to the city center?”)

To figure out whether to use mikä or mitä (“what”), follow this rule of thumb: Use mikä when the subject is concrete, defined, or countable. Use mitä when the subject is abstract, undefined, or uncountable.Get even more confident in your question-asking skills by learning the top fifteen questions in Finnish with FinnishPod101.com.

Miten pääsen täältä keskustaan? (“How do I get from here to the city center?”)

9. Asking for Permission: Can I…? / Could I…?

Finns appreciate good manners, and knowing how to ask for something politely will always help you make a good first impression. 

The verbs we’re going to use are saada and voida.

• Saanko…? (“Can I…?”)
• Saisinko…? (“Could I…?”)
• Voinko…? (“Can I…?”)
• Voisinko…? (“Could I…?”)

 Here are a few examples. (Using the equivalent of “could I” is more polite.)

• Saanko ehdottaa jotakin? (“Can I suggest something?”)
• Saisinko ruokalistan? (“Could I have the menu?”)
• Voinko tulla sisään? (“Can I come in?”)
• Voisinko puhua kanssasi? (“Could I talk with you?”)

 Learn more about manners and the power of “thank you” in Finland on our blog.

10. Turning a Statement into a Question: Do You…?

Here’s a neat trick that you can use to turn a statement sentence in Finnish into a question. First, take a simple sentence like the ones we looked at earlier in this article:

• Hän on suomalainen. (“He/she is Finnish.”)

Now, switch the verb and the noun around and add -ko or -kö to the verb (use -kö if the verb also contains ä or ö; otherwise, stick to -ko), and your question looks like this:

• Onko hän suomalainen? (“Is he/she Finnish?”)

Here are a few more examples:

• Sinä syöt lihaa. (“You eat meat.”) > Syötkö sinä lihaa? (“Do you eat meat?”)
• Sinä pidät koirista. (“You like dogs.”) > Pidätkö sinä koirista? (“Do you like dogs?”)
• Hän lukee sanomalehtiä. (“He/she reads newspapers.”) > Lukeeko hän sanomalehtiä? (“Does he/she read newspapers?”)
• Elina osti leipää. (“Elina bought bread.”) > Ostiko Elina leipää? (“Did Elina buy bread?”)

Who knew Finnish sentence patterns could be this easy? Why not try your hand at forming more questions like the ones above? Look up more common Finnish verbs in FinnishPod101’s guide to the fifty most common Finnish verbs.

11. Final Thoughts

You’ve now learned the ten most useful Finnish sentence patterns, and are hopefully feeling excited about going out there and using them in real life! 

Keep practicing those skills, and do visit FinnishPod101.com anytime to further increase your vocabulary, learn correct pronunciation, and brush up on your grammar!

If you have any questions about this lesson, or if we didn’t cover a sentence pattern you want to know, don’t hesitate to reach out in the comments. We’ll do our best to help!

You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Finnish! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Finnish keyboard.

Table of Contents

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Finnish
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Finnish
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
4. How to Change the Language Settings to Finnish on Your Computer
5. Activating the Finnish Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
6. Finnish Keyboard Typing Tips
7. How to Practice Typing Finnish

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Finnish

Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:

• Get the most out of any dictionary and Finnish language apps on your devices
• Expand your ability to find Finnish websites and use the various search engines
• Be able to communicate much better online with your Finnish teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process! 

2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Finnish

It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Finnish. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.

On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Finnish, so all text will appear in Finnish. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!

On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.

3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer

1- Mac

1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”

3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”

2- Windows

1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.

2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”

3- Online Keyboards

If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:

• Type Finnish Characters
• Branah
• Finnish Keyboard

4- Add-ons of Extensions for Browsers

Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.

4. How to Change the Language Settings to Finnish on Your Computer

Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Finnish language pack for your operating system of choice:

• Windows 8 (and higher)
• Windows 7
• Mac (OS X and higher)

1- Windows 8 (and higher)

1. Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
2. Click on “Add a Language” and select “Finnish.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as suomi with the note “language pack available.”
3. Click on “suomi” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
4. As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Finnish – suomi.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.

2- Windows 7

1. Go to “Start” > “Control Panel” > “Clock, Language, and Region.”
2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”
3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Finnish.”
4. Expand the option of “Finnish” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Finnish.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”

3- Mac (OS X and higher)

If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region

1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.

3. Click on the plus button, select “Finnish,” and add the “Finnish” keyboard.

5. Activating the Finnish Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet

Texting and searching in Finnish will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Finnish keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.

You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.

Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.

1- iOS

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.

2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”

3. Select “Finnish” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.

2- Android

1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.

2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.

3. Select “suomi” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.

3- Applications for Mobile Phones

If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, this is a good app to consider:

• Finnish keyboard lite

6. Finnish Keyboard Typing Tips

Typing in Finnish can be very challenging at first! Therefore, we added here a few useful tips to make it easier to use your Finnish keyboard.

1- Computer

• If you don’t have access to a virtual keyboard, the Finnish letter “Ä” can be written as “ae” and “Ö” can be written as “oe.” This system is used internationally in official documents (such as passports and ID cards) and even in sports competitions. 

2- Mobile Phones

• Like before, if you don’t have access to a virtual keyboard, the Finnish letter “Ä” can be written as “ae” and “Ö” can be written as “oe.” On a mobile keyboard, though, these characters should appear as options if you press and hold the “A” and “O” keys, respectively.

7. How to Practice Typing Finnish

As you probably know by now, learning Finnish is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Finnish typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a FinnishPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Finnish keyboard to do this!

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages?

Do you desire to learn or advance in Finnish quickly and effectively?

Then you need a Finnish tutor.

A common question that first-time language-learners ask is “Where do I begin?” The answer? Guidance.

For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language.

As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an accelerated pace with at least thirty minutes of study daily. The following Premium PLUS features contribute to my success:

• Access to thousands of lessons
• A voice recorder 
• Spaced-repetition system (SRS) flashcards
• Weekly homework assignments
• A personal language instructor

As someone who decided to make Japanese her second language one year ago, I am extremely grateful for Premium PLUS.

Allow me to emphasize on how these Premium PLUS features strengthen my language studies.

Gain Unlimited Access to Audio and Video Lessons!

As a Premium PLUS member, I have full access to the lesson library and other Premium features. Best of all, I’m not limited to one level; I can learn to my heart’s content with upper-level courses.

There are lessons on various topics that tackle crucial language-learning elements, such as:

• Reading
• Writing
• Listening
• Speaking
• Conversation

Specifically, there are pathways. Pathways are collections of lessons that center on a specific topic. Some Innovative Language sites, like JapanesePod101.com, even have pathways geared toward proficiency tests. For example, the JLPT N3 Master Course pathway.

Because of the abundance of lessons, I’ve found pathways in the lesson library to help me prepare for certain events. Thanks to the “Speaking Perfect Japanese at a Restaurant” pathway, I spoke fully in Japanese while dining in Japan. Additionally, I participated in conversations at language exchange meetups in South Korea after completing the “Top 25 Korean Questions You Need to Know” pathway.

Each lesson has lesson notes, which I read while simultaneously listening to the audio lesson. This strategy enables me to follow along on key points. Lesson notes generally contain the following:

• Dialogue
• Vocabulary
• Grammar points
• Cultural insights

As someone who’s constantly on-the-go, I heavily benefit from mobile access to lessons. Podcasts and lesson notes are available on the Innovative Language app and/or Podcasts app for iOS.

All lessons and their contents are downloadable. Prior to my flights to Japan and South Korea, I downloaded lessons on my iPhone. The apps make learning more convenient for me during my commutes.

Practice Speaking with the Voice Recording Tool!

Pronunciation is an essential ingredient in language-learning. Proper pronunciation prompts clear understanding during conversations with native speakers.

Prior to learning full Korean sentences, my online Korean language tutor assigned the “Hana Hana Hangul” pathway to me. It demonstrated the writing and pronunciation of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. Throughout this pathway, I submitted recordings of my Hangul character pronunciations to my language teacher for review.

I was given a similar task on JapanesePod101.com with the “Ultimate Japanese Pronunciation Guide” pathway. My Japanese language teacher tested my pronunciation of the Japanese characters kana. My completion of the two pathways boosted my confidence in speaking.

Speaking is one of the more challenging components of learning a language. The voice recording tool in particular was a great way for me to improve my speaking skills. Further, because the lesson dialogues are spoken by native speakers, I’m able to practice speaking naturally.

This feature is also available for vocabulary words and sample sentences. Being able to hear these recordings improves my pronunciation skills for languages like Japanese, where intonation can change the meaning of a word entirely. The voice recorder examines my speed and tone. I also follow up by sending a recording to my online language tutor for feedback.

A great way to boost one’s speaking confidence is to shadow native speakers. During the vocabulary reviews, it’s helpful for me to hear the breakdown of each word; doing so makes a word that was originally difficult to even read a breeze to say!

Some lessons create opportunities to speak your own sentences. For example, the “Top 25 Korean Questions You Need to Know” pathway presents opportunities to answer questions personally. This helps you gain the ability to give answers as the unique individual you are.

Example Scenario:

The host asks the following question:

어디에 살고 있습니까?

eodieseo salgo isseumnikka

“Where do you live?”

If you live in Tokyo, you would readily say the following:

도쿄에 살고 있습니다.

Tokyo-e salgo isseumnida.

“I live in Tokyo.”

Increase Your Vocab with Spaced-Repetition Flashcards and More!

Imagine having a conversation with a native speaker and hesitating because you lack a solid vocabulary base.

Premium PLUS offers various features to expand learners’ vocabulary, including Free Gifts of the Month. FinnishPod101’s free gifts for April 2020 included an e-book with “400 Everyday Phrases for Beginners,” and the content is updated every month. When I download free resources like this, I find opportunities to use them with co-teachers, friends, or my language tutors.

An effective way to learn vocabulary is with SRS flashcards. SRS is a system designed for learning a new word and reviewing it in varying time intervals.

You can create and study flashcard decks, whether it’s your Word Bank or a certain vocabulary list. For example, if you need to visit a post office, the “Post Office” vocabulary list for your target language would be beneficial to study prior to your visit.

In addition to the SRS flashcards, each lesson has a vocabulary slideshow and quiz to review the lesson’s vocabulary.

There’s also the 2000 Core Word List, which includes the most commonly used words in your target language. Starting from the 100 Core Word List, you’ll gradually build up your knowledge of useful vocabulary. These lists can be studied with SRS flashcards, too.

With the SRS flashcards, you can change the settings to your liking. The settings range from different card types to number of new cards per deck. Personally, I give myself vocabulary tests by changing the settings.

After studying a number of flashcards, I change the card types to listening comprehension and/or production. Then I test myself by writing the translation of the word or the spoken word or phrase.

The change in settings allow me to remember vocabulary and learn how to identify the words. This is especially helpful with Japanese kanji!

Complete Homework Assignments!

Homework assignments are advantageous to my language studies. There are homework assignments auto-generated weekly. They range from multiple-choice quizzes to writing assignments.

Language tutors are readily available for homework help. Some writing assignments, for instance, require use of unfamiliar vocabulary. In such cases, my language teachers assist me by forwarding related lessons or vocabulary lists.

In addition to these auto-generated homework tasks, language tutors customize daily assignments. My daily homework assignments include submitting three written sentences that apply the target grammar point of that lesson, and then blindly audio-recording those sentences. My personal language tutor follows up with feedback and corrections, if needed.

Your language tutors also provide assignments upon requests. When I wanted to review grammar, my Korean teacher sent related quizzes and assignments. Thus, you are not only limited to the auto-generated assignments.

Every weekend, I review by re-reading those written sentences. It helps me remember sentence structures, grammar points, and vocabulary to apply in real-world contexts.

Furthermore, I can track my progress with language portfolios every trimester. It’s like a midterm exam that tests my listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

Get Your Own Personal Language Teacher!

My language teachers cater to my goals with personalized and achievable learning programs. The tangible support of my online language teachers makes it evident that we share common goals.

Once I share a short-term or long-term goal with my teacher, we establish a plan or pathway that will ultimately result in success. I coordinate with my teachers regularly to ensure the personalized learning programs are prosperous. For example, during my JLPT studies, my Japanese language tutor assigned me practice tests.

Your language tutor is available for outside help as well. When I bought drama CDs in Japan, I had difficulty transliterating the dialogue. My Japanese teacher forwarded me the script to read along as I listened.

Additionally, I often practice Korean and Japanese with music. I memorize one line of the lyrics daily. Every time, I learn a new grammar point and new vocabulary. I add the vocabulary to my SRS flashcards, locate the grammar in the Grammar Bank, and study the associated lessons online.

I send my teachers the name of the songs, making them aware of my new goal. One time, my song for Korean was “If You Do” by GOT7. My Korean teacher revealed that she was a huge fan of GOT7 like me! For Japanese, it was “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA,” also known as the Dragonball Z theme song. My Japanese teacher excitedly told me that she sang the song a lot as a kid!

A remarkable thing happened to me in South Korea. I was stressed about opening a bank account with limited Korean. I sought help from my Korean teacher. She forwarded me a script of a bank conversation.

After two days, I visited the local bank. It all started with my opening sentence:

은행 계좌를 만들고 싶어요

eunhaeng gyejwaleul mandeulgo sip-eoyo.

I want to open a bank account.

Everything went smoothly, and I exited the bank with a new account!

The MyTeacher Messenger allows me to share visuals with my teachers for regular interaction, including videos to critique my pronunciation mechanisms. I improve my listening and speaking skills by exchanging audio with my teachers. In addition to my written homework assignments, I exchange messages with my language teachers in my target language. This connection with my teachers enables me to experience the culture as well as the language.

Why You Should Subscribe to Premium PLUS

It’s impossible for me to imagine my continuous progress with Japanese and Korean without Premium PLUS. Everything—from the SRS flashcards to my language teachers—makes learning languages enjoyable and clear-cut.

You’re assured to undergo the same experience with Premium PLUS. You’ll gain access to the aforementioned features as well as all of the Premium features.

Complete lessons and assignments to advance in your target language. Increase your vocabulary with the “2000 Core Word List” for that language and SRS flashcards. Learn on-the-go with the Innovative Language app and/or Podcasts app for iOS users.

Learning a new language takes dedication and commitment. The Premium PLUS features make learning irresistibly exciting. You’ll look forward to learning daily with your language tutor.

As of right now, your challenge is to subscribe to Premium PLUS! Complete your assessment, and meet your new Finnish teacher.

Have fun learning your target language in the fastest and easiest way!

Subscribe to Posted by FinnishPod101.com in Feature Spotlight, Finnish Language, Finnish Online, Learn Finnish, Site Features, Team FinnishPod101 | Comment

What’s your relationship with the clock like? Does it run your day from a morning alarm to a cut-off chime for bed, or are you more of a go-with-the-flow type, letting your mood and emotions decide how much you fall in line with time?

Understanding time in Finnish is an important part of your studies. As humans, our lives are filled with habits and schedules. From waking up and going to work or gym, to missing rush hour traffic on our way home, we’re always aware of time. We have routines around coffee breaks, meetings, soccer games and vacations. In fact, time can seem rather capricious – going slowly, going fast, sometimes against us, other times on our side – like a force that has a life of its own.

In science, time is often referred to as a fourth dimension and many physicists and philosophers think that if we understood the physics of the universe, we would see that time is an illusion. We sense an ‘arrow’ or direction of time because we have memories, but really time is just a construct that humans have created to help make sense of the world. 

On the other hand, poets through the ages have written impassioned thoughts about time, depicting it as both a relentless thief and an immensely precious resource, not to be wasted at any cost.

Well, poets and scientists may have their views, but in our everyday lives there’s the question of practicality, isn’t there? I mean, if you have plans and want things to happen your way, there’s a certain amount of conforming to the human rules of time that you can’t avoid. 

In ‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the prince has a rose that he falls in love with, and he tenderly protects it with a windscreen and places it under a glass dome on his tiny planet.  I love this quote from the book:  “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”  If we truly love something, we spend time with it and not a second of that time could ever be seen as wasted. I feel that way about horses, my children, travel and learning languages. 

With that in mind, I’d like to take you on a journey into ‘time’ from a Finnish perspective. It’s fun, it’s informative and it’s a basic necessity if you’re learning the language – especially if you plan to travel. FinnishPod101 has all the vocab you need to fall in love with telling time in Finnish, and not a minute will be wasted.

Table of Contents

1. Talking about Time in Finnish
2. How to Tell the Time in Finnish
3. Conclusion

1. Talking about Time in Finnish

As a traveler, your primary need for knowing how to read the hour in Finnish will be for transportation schedules: the bus, train, airplane, ferry, taxi… whatever you plan to use to get from A to B, it won’t wait for you! Fortunately, it’s really not complicated. You already have a firm grasp of time in English and you know you’ll need to reset your watch and phone to the local time. Great – that means you’ll have the correct time on your person. 

We’re so used to just looking at our phones for the time, that it’s easy to take this convenience for granted and forget some travel basics: in a foreign country, times won’t always be written digitally. If you see the time written in words, it’ll be the same challenge to you as hearing it spoken: you’ll need to be familiar with the language. 

You may be surprised at how often ‘time’ comes into conversation. Learning the Finnish terms for time will help you when you have to call a taxi, ask about opening and closing times of events and tourist attractions, restaurants and bars and even late-night food cafes.

My biggest annoyance when traveling is not being able to get coffee and amazingly, even at nice hotels this has happened more times than I care to think about. I’ll be up late planning something, writing my blog or chatting and when I go looking for coffee downstairs, I’m told the kitchen is closed or the ‘coffee lady’ has gone to sleep. Frustrating!

If you’re doing a homestay or at a youth hostel or backpackers, there will probably also be a limited timeframe for when you can grab dinner. Do you know how to ask when it’s time to eat in Finnish? I’ve learned that it’s vital to know how to make my queries clearly understood to accommodation staff and for me to clearly understand their answers. Perfect your ‘time in Finnish’ translations early on – you’ll thank me. 

At FinnishPod101, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of Finnish time words and phrases to get you going. 

1- Morning – aamu

Morning is the time when we wake up from our dreamworld, hopefully fully rested and restored; we brew the first delicious cup of coffee for the day and watch the sunrise as we prepare for another glorious twelve hours of life. No matter what happened the day before, a new morning is a chance to make everything right. 

I like these quiet hours for language practice, as my mind is clear and receptive to learning new things. I start by writing the Finnish time, date and word of the day on my whiteboard, then get back under the covers for an engrossing lesson.

Time in the morning is written as AM or A.M., which stands for ante meridiem – meaning ‘before midday’ in Latin.

2- Evening – ilta

Evening is the part of night when we’re still awake and doing things, winding down from the day. Whether you enjoy a tasty international dinner with friends, go out to see a show, or curl up on the couch with a Finnish snack and your favorite TV series, evening is a good time to forget your worries and do something that relaxes you. If you’re checking in with your Facebook friends, say hi to us, too!  

Evening is also an ideal time to catch up on your Finnish studies. The neighbourhood outside is likely to be quieter and time is yours, so grab a glass of wine or a delicious local tea, and see what’s new on your Mac App or Kindle. 

3- Daytime – päiväsaika

Daytime is defined as the period from early morning to early evening when the sun is visible outside. In other words: from sunrise to sunset.  Where you are in the world, as well as the season, will determine how many daylight hours you get. 

Interestingly, in locations north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle, in summertime the sun does not sink below the horizon within a 24-hour period, bringing the natural phenomenon of the midnight sun.  You could only experience this in the north, though, because there aren’t any permanent human settlements south of the Antarctic Circle.

4- Nighttime – yö

Nighttime is all the hours from sunset to sunrise and depending on where in the country you are, people may be partying all night, or asleep from full-dark. 

In the same northernmost and southernmost regions where you can experience a midnight sun, winter brings the opposite phenomenon: the polar night. Can you imagine a night that lasts for more than 24 hours? 

5- Hour – tunti

An hour is a unit of time made up of 60 minutes and is a variable measure of one-24th of a day – also defined by geeks as 3 600 atomic seconds. Of all the ‘time’ words we use on a daily basis, the hour is the most important, as time of day is typically expressed in terms of hours. 

One of the interesting methods of keeping time that people have come up with is the hourglass. Although the origins are unclear, there’s evidence pointing to the hourglass being invented around 1000 – 1100 AD and one of the ways we know this, is from hourglasses being depicted in very old murals. These days, with clocks and watches in every direction we look, they’re really only used symbolically to represent the passage of time. Still – a powerful reminder of our mortality and to seize the day. In his private journal, the Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius, wrote: “You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do and say and think.”

6- Minute – minuutti

Use this word when you want to say a more precise time and express minutes in Finnish. A minute is a unit of time equal to one sixtieth of an hour, or 60 seconds. A lot can happen in the next 60 seconds. For example, your blood will circulate three times through your entire vascular system and your heart will pump about 2.273 litres of blood. 

7- O’clock – kello

We use “o’clock” when there are no minutes and we’re saying the exact hour, as in “It’s two o’clock.”

The term “o’clock” is a contraction of the term “of the clock”. It comes from 15th-century references to medieval mechanical clocks. At the time, sundials were also common timekeepers. Therefore, to make clear one was referencing a clock’s time, they would say something like, “It is six of the clock” – now shortened to “six o’clock”.

We only use this term when talking about the 12 hour clock, though, not the 24 hour clock (more on that later!) The 12-hour clock can be traced back as far as Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. Both an Egyptian sundial for daytime use and an Egyptian water clock for nighttime use were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Amenhotep I. Dating to c.1500 BC, these clocks divided their respective times of use into 12 hours each. The Romans also used a 12-hour clock. Daylight was divided into 12 equal hours and the night was divided into four watches. 

These days, the internet has made it very easy to know what the time is in any part of the world.  Speaking of which, why not add the Finnish time zone clock to your laptop?

8- Half past – puoli

When the time is thirty minutes past the hour, in English we say “half past”. Just like the hour, the half-hour is universally used as an orientation point; some languages speak of 30 minutes before the hour (subtraction), whereas others speak of 30 minutes after the hour (addition). 

9- AM – aamulla

As mentioned earlier, AM is the abbreviation of the Latin ante meridiem and means before midday. Using ‘AM’ as a tag on your time simply tells people you’re speaking about a time in the morning. In some countries, morning is abbreviated to “AM” and you’ll see this on shop signs everywhere, announcing the opening hour. A typical shop sign might read something like this:

“Business hours are from 7AM to 6PM.” 

10- PM – iltapäivällä

PM is the abbreviation of the Latin post meridiem and means after midday. Along with ‘AM’, you’ll usually find ‘PM’ on store signs and businesses, indicating the closing hours. It’s advisable to learn the difference between the two, since some establishments might only have one or the other on the sign. For example, a night club sign might say: 

“Open from 10 PM until late.” 

11- What time is it now? – Paljonko kello on nyt?

Here’s a very handy question you should memorize, as you can use it in any situation where you don’t have your watch or phone on you. This could be on the beach, in a club, or if you’re stuck anywhere with a flat phone battery. It happens at home, so it can happen when you’re traveling! 

12- One o’clock – kello yksi

One o’clock, or 1 PM, is the average lunch time for many people around the world – at least, we try to get a meal in at some point between midday and 2 PM.  In terms of duration, the nations vary: Brazililans reportedly take the longest lunch breaks, averaging 48 minutes, whereas Greece reports an average break of only 19 minutes. Historically, Greeks were known for their very leisurely lunch breaks, so it just goes to show how fast the world is changing. If you’re curious about what to expect in Finland, try asking our online community about lunch time in Finnish.

13- Two o’clock – kello kaksi

In his last days, Napoleon Bonaparte famously spoke of “Two o’clock in the morning courage” – meaning unprepared, spontaneous  courage. He was talking about soldiers who are brave enough to tumble out of bed in an instant, straight into action, without time to think or strategize. Do you think you have what it takes? I’m pretty sure all mothers know this feeling!

14- Three o’clock – kello kolme

3 AM can be perceived as the coldest time of day and is not an hour we want to wake up, but meteorologists will tell you that the coldest time is actually half an hour after sunrise. Even though the sun is peeking over the horizon, the solar radiation is still weaker than the earth’s infrared cooling to space.

15- Four o’clock – kello neljä

Do you know anyone who purposely gets up at 4 o’clock in the morning? As crazy as it sounds, there is something to be said for rising at 4 AM while the rest of the world sleeps. If you live on a farm, it might even be normal for you. I know that whenever I’m staying in the countryside, rising early is a lot easier, because there’s a satisfying reason to do so: watching a sunrise from a rooftop, with uninterrupted views, can’t be beat! It’s also likely that you’ll be woken by a cock crowing, or other animals waking to graze in the fresh pre-dawn air. 

In the world of business, you’ll find a small group of ambitious individuals – many entrepreneurs – who swear by the 4 o’clock in the morning rise. I’m not sure I like that idea, but I’d wake up at 4 AM if it was summer and I had my car packed for a vacation!

16- Five o’clock – kello viisi

What better way to signal the transition between work and play than the clock hands striking 5 o’clock? It’s the hour most working people look forward to each day – at least, those who get to stop working at 5 PM.  Meanwhile, millions of retired folks are taking out the wine glasses, as 5 PM is widely accepted as an appropriate time to pour the first glass. I don’t know how traditional your families are, but for as long as I’ve been alive, my grandparents have counted down the milliseconds to five o’clock, and the hour is announced with glee.

17- Six o’clock – kello kuusi

This is the time many working people and school kids wake up in the morning. In many parts of the world, 6 o’clock is also a good time to watch the sunrise, go for a run or hit the hiking trails. 

18- Seven o’clock – kello seitsemän

Health gurus will tell you that 7 o’clock in the morning is the best time to eat your first meal of the day, and 7 o’clock in the evening is the time you should eat your last meal. I’ve tried that and I agree, but it’s not always easy!

19- Eight o’clock – kello kahdeksan

8 o’clock in the morning is the time that most businesses open around the world, and the time most kids are in their first lesson at school – still full of energy and willing to participate. Interestingly, it’s also the time most babies are born in the world!  In the evening, 8 o’clock is many young children’s bedtime and the time for parents to watch the evening news. 

20- Nine o’clock – kello yhdeksän

It’s good to occasionally sleep late on a weekend and for me, this means waking up at 9 AM. If you’re traveling in Finland and staying at a hotel, planning to sleep late means politely requesting to not be woken up by room service.

21- Ten o’clock – kello kymmenen

10 o’clock in the morning is a popular time to conduct business meetings, and for first break time at schools. We’re usually wide awake and well into our day by then.  But what about the same hour at night? Modern people are often still awake and watching TV at 10 PM, but this isn’t exactly good for us. Experts say that the deepest and most regenerative sleep occurs between 10 PM and 2 AM, so we should already be sound asleep by ten o’clock. 

In advertising, have you ever noticed that the hands of the clock usually point to 10:10? Have a look next time you see a watch on a billboard or magazine. The reason? Aesthetics. Somehow, the human brain finds the symmetry pleasing. When the clock hands are at ten and two, they create a ‘smiley’ face and don’t cover any key details, like a logo, on the clock face. 

22- Eleven o’clock – kello yksitoista

When I see this time written in words, it makes me think of the hilarious Academy Award-winning very short film, “The Eleven O’Clock”, in which the delusional patient of a psychiatrist believes that he is actually the doctor. 

Then there’s the tradition of ‘elevenses’ – tea time at eleven o’clock in the morning. Strongly ingrained in British culture, elevenses is typically a serving of hot tea or coffee with scones or pastries on the side. It’s a great way to stave off hunger pangs before lunch time arrives. In fact, if you were a hobbit, ‘Elevenses’ would be your third meal of the day!

23- Twelve o’clock – kello kaksitoista

Twelve o’clock in the daytime is considered midday, when the sun is at its zenith and the temperature reaches its highest for that day; it’s written as 12 noon or 12 PM. In most parts of the world, though, this doesn’t happen at precisely 12 PM. ‘Solar noon’ is the time when the sun is actually at its highest point in the sky. The local or clock time of solar noon depends on the longitude and date. If it’s summertime, it’s advisable to stay in the shade during this hour – or at least wear good quality sunblock.

Midnight is the other ‘twelve o’clock’, of course. Midnight is written as 12 AM and is technically the first minute of the morning. On the 24-hour clock, midnight is written as 00:00. 

2. How to Tell the Time in Finnish

Using a clock to read the time in Finland is going to be the same as in your own country, since you’re dealing with numbers and not words. You’ll know the time in your head and be able to say it in English, but will you be able to say it out loud in Finnish? 

The first step to saying the time in Finnish is knowing your numbers. How are you doing with that? If you can count to twelve in Finnish, you’re halfway there! We’ve already covered the phrases you’ll need to say the exact hour, as in “five o’clock”, as well as how to say “half past”. What remains is the more specific phrases to describe what the minute hand is doing.

In everyday speech, it’s common to say the minutes past or before the hour. Often we round the minutes off to the nearest five. 

Then, there’s the 24-hour clock. Also known as ‘military time’, the 24-hour clock is used in most countries and, as such, is useful to understand. You’ll find that even in places where the 12-hour clock is standard, certain people will speak in military time or use a combination of the two.  No doubt you’ve also noticed that in written time, the 24-hour clock is commonly used.  One of the most prominent places you’ll have seen this is on airport flight schedules.

Knowing how to tell military time in Finnish is really not complicated if you know your numbers up to twenty-four. One advantage of using the 24-hour clock in Finnish, is there’s no chance of confusing AM and PM.

Once you know how to say the time, it will be pretty easy to also write the time in Finnish. You’re already learning what the different hours and minutes look and sound like, so give yourself some writing practice of the same. 

3. Conclusion

Now that you understand the vocabulary for telling time in Finnish, the best thing you can do to really lock it down is to just practice saying Finnish time daily. Start by replacing English with Finnish whenever you need to say the time; in fact, do this whenever you look at your watch. Say the time to yourself in Finnish and it will become a habit. When learning a new language, the phrases you use habitually are the ones your brain will acquire. It feels amazing when that turning point comes!

To help yourself gain confidence, why don’t you make use of our various apps, downloadable for iPhone and iPad, as well as Android? Choose what works best for you. In addition, we have so many free resources available to supplement your learning, that you simply can’t go wrong. Some of these are:

• Free lessons on iTunes
• A free mini lesson every day with the Innovative Language Calendar.
• Free audio books for lessons on the go.

If you prefer watching your lessons on video, check out our YouTube channel – there are hundreds of videos to browse. For those of you with Roku, we also have a TV channel you can watch.

Well, it’s time for me to say goodbye and for you to practice saying the time in Finnish. Look at the nearest clock and try to say the exact time, down to the seconds. See you again soon at FinnishPod101!