Basic Greetings and Polite Expressions
Let’s start with the basics. Greeting someone in Finnish is the first step in making a good impression. Here are some common greetings and polite expressions:
– Hei – Hello
– Moi – Hi (informal)
– Hyvää huomenta – Good morning
– Hyvää päivää – Good day
– Hyvää iltaa – Good evening
– Hyvää yötä – Good night
– Kiitos – Thank you
– Kiitos paljon – Thank you very much
– Ole hyvä – You’re welcome (also used to offer something)
– Anteeksi – Excuse me / I’m sorry
– Näkemiin – Goodbye
– Heippa – Bye (informal)
– Mitä kuuluu? – How are you?
– Hyvää – Good (response to “How are you?”)
– Entä sinä? – And you?
Common Nouns
Knowing some common nouns will help you identify objects and places in your surroundings. Here are a few essential nouns:
– Talo – House
– Auto – Car
– Koulu – School
– Kauppa – Store
– Ravintola – Restaurant
– Kahvila – Café
– Puisto – Park
– Pöytä – Table
– Tuoli – Chair
– Sänky – Bed
– Kirja – Book
– Lehti – Newspaper
– Puhelin – Phone
– Tietokone – Computer
– Vesi – Water
– Ruoka – Food
Numbers
Knowing numbers is crucial for everyday tasks such as shopping, telling time, or asking about prices. Here are the numbers 1-10 in Finnish:
– Yksi – One
– Kaksi – Two
– Kolme – Three
– Neljä – Four
– Viisi – Five
– Kuusi – Six
– Seitsemän – Seven
– Kahdeksan – Eight
– Yhdeksän – Nine
– Kymmenen – Ten
Once you are comfortable with these, you can move on to larger numbers and combinations, such as:
– Yksitoista – Eleven
– Kaksikymmentä – Twenty
– Kolmekymmentä – Thirty, and so on.
Days of the Week
Understanding the days of the week is essential for making plans and appointments. Here they are:
– Maanantai – Monday
– Tiistai – Tuesday
– Keskiviikko – Wednesday
– Torstai – Thursday
– Perjantai – Friday
– Lauantai – Saturday
– Sunnuntai – Sunday
Months of the Year
Similarly, knowing the months of the year is important. Here they are in Finnish:
– Tammikuu – January
– Helmikuu – February
– Maaliskuu – March
– Huhtikuu – April
– Toukokuu – May
– Kesäkuu – June
– Heinäkuu – July
– Elokuu – August
– Syyskuu – September
– Lokakuu – October
– Marraskuu – November
– Joulukuu – December
Colors
Colors are another important set of vocabulary for beginners. Here are the basic colors:
– Punainen – Red
– Sininen – Blue
– Vihreä – Green
– Keltainen – Yellow
– Musta – Black
– Valkoinen – White
– Harmaa – Gray
– Ruskea – Brown
– Oranssi – Orange
– Vaaleanpunainen – Pink
– Violetti – Purple
Common Verbs
Verbs are the backbone of any sentence. Here are some common Finnish verbs that you will use frequently:
– Olla – To be
– Mennä – To go
– Tulla – To come
– Tehdä – To do / To make
– Nähdä – To see
– Syödä – To eat
– Juoda – To drink
– Nukkua – To sleep
– Lukea – To read
– Kirjoittaa – To write
– Puhua – To speak
– Ymmärtää – To understand
– Opiskella – To study
– Rakastaa – To love
– Työskennellä – To work
Basic Adjectives
Adjectives help describe nouns and provide more detail. Here are some basic adjectives:
– Iso – Big
– Pieni – Small
– Hyvä – Good
– Huono – Bad
– Kaunis – Beautiful
– Ruma – Ugly
– Kylmä – Cold
– Kuuma – Hot
– Vanha – Old
– Nuori – Young
– Uusi – New
Useful Phrases
Here are some useful phrases that can help you navigate various situations:
– Mikä sinun nimesi on? – What is your name?
– Minun nimeni on… – My name is…
– Mistä olet kotoisin? – Where are you from?
– Olen kotoisin… – I am from…
– Kuinka vanha olet? – How old are you?
– Olen… vuotta vanha. – I am… years old.
– Puhutko englantia? – Do you speak English?
– En ymmärrä. – I don’t understand.
– Voitko toistaa? – Can you repeat?
– Mitä tämä tarkoittaa? – What does this mean?
Common Questions
Asking questions is a vital part of any conversation. Here are some common question words and questions:
– Mitä? – What?
– Kuka? – Who?
– Missä? – Where?
– Milloin? – When?
– Miksi? – Why?
– Kuinka? – How?
– Paljonko? – How much?
– Mikä tämä on? – What is this?
– Missä on…? – Where is…?
– Milloin se tapahtuu? – When does it happen?
– Miksi tämä on näin? – Why is this so?
– Kuinka kauan se kestää? – How long does it last?
Travel Vocabulary
If you’re traveling in Finland, here are some essential words and phrases that you might find useful:
– Lentokenttä – Airport
– Asema – Station
– Bussi – Bus
– Juna – Train
– Taksi – Taxi
– Hotelli – Hotel
– Kartta – Map
– Huone – Room
– Varata – To book/reserve
– Lippu – Ticket
– Matkalaukku – Suitcase
– Matkustaa – To travel
Food and Drink
Understanding food and drink vocabulary is essential whether you’re dining out or shopping for groceries:
– Aamiainen – Breakfast
– Lounas – Lunch
– Päivällinen – Dinner
– Välipala – Snack
– Ravintola – Restaurant
– Kahvila – Café
– Ruokalista – Menu
– Lasku – Bill
– Kahvi – Coffee
– Tee – Tea
– Maito – Milk
– Leipä – Bread
– Juusto – Cheese
– Liha – Meat
– Kala – Fish
– Kasvis – Vegetable
– Hedelmä – Fruit
Shopping Vocabulary
If you’re planning to do some shopping in Finland, knowing these words will be helpful:
– Kauppa – Store
– Ostoskeskus – Shopping center
– Vaatekauppa – Clothing store
– Ruokakauppa – Grocery store
– Hinta – Price
– Alennus – Discount
– Kassa – Cash register
– Käteinen – Cash
– Kortti – Card (credit/debit)
– Kuitti – Receipt
– Sovittaa – To try on (clothes)
Weather Vocabulary
Talking about the weather is a common topic of conversation. Here are some weather-related words:
– Sää – Weather
– Aurinko – Sun
– Pilvi – Cloud
– Sade – Rain
– Lumi – Snow
– Tuuli – Wind
– Kylmä – Cold
– Kuuma – Hot
– Lämmin – Warm
– Viileä – Cool
– Myrsky – Storm
Emergency Phrases
In case of an emergency, knowing these phrases can be crucial:
– Apu! – Help!
– Poliisi – Police
– Ambulanssi – Ambulance
– Paloasema – Fire station
– Lääkäri – Doctor
– Sairaala – Hospital
– Olen eksynyt – I am lost
– Tarvitsen apua – I need help
– Missä on lähin apteekki? – Where is the nearest pharmacy?
– Minulla on hätätilanne – I have an emergency
Conclusion
Learning Finnish can seem daunting at first, especially with its unique grammar and vocabulary. However, by starting with these basic words and phrases, you can build a strong foundation for further study. Practice these words regularly, use them in conversations, and try to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible. Whether you’re planning a trip to Finland, communicating with Finnish speakers, or simply exploring a new language, these essential words will help you get started on your Finnish language journey. Hyvää onnea! (Good luck!)
