Understanding the Basics: Numbers and Months in Finnish
Finnish Numbers for Dates
To tell the date in Finnish, you’ll need to be familiar with Finnish ordinal numbers, as these are used to express days of the month. Here are the basics:
- First – ensimmäinen
- Second – toinen
- Third – kolmas
- Fourth – neljäs
- Fifth – viides
- Sixth – kuudes
- Seventh – seitsemäs
- Eighth – kahdeksas
- Ninth – yhdeksäs
- Tenth – kymmenes
- Eleventh – yhdestoista
- Twelfth – kahdestoista
- … and so on up to the thirty-first – kolmaskymmenesensimmäinen
The Months in Finnish
Finnish month names are derived from nature and seasons, and are always written with a lowercase letter:
- January – tammikuu
- February – helmikuu
- March – maaliskuu
- April – huhtikuu
- May – toukokuu
- June – kesäkuu
- July – heinäkuu
- August – elokuu
- September – syyskuu
- October – lokakuu
- November – marraskuu
- December – joulukuu
How to Say the Date in Finnish
Standard Date Structure
The most common way to say the date in Finnish follows this structure:
Day (ordinal number) + month (in partitive case)
For example:
- 1st of January = ensimmäinen tammikuuta
- 14th of March = neljästoista maaliskuuta
The month is in the partitive case (ending in -ta or -tä) because you are referring to “of January” or “of March”.
Including the Year
To include the year, place it at the end of the date. The year is usually said as a number:
- 14th of March 2024 = neljästoista maaliskuuta 2024
When speaking, Finns often just say the numbers, but in more formal settings, the year can be in the genitive case (for example: vuonna 2024 = “in the year 2024”).
Writing the Date
In writing, Finns use the day-month-year format, separated by periods. For example:
- 14.3.2024
This is read as “neljästoista maaliskuuta kaksituhattakaksikymmentäneljä” (fourteenth of March, two thousand twenty-four).
How to Say the Day of the Week
To make your date more specific, you can add the day of the week. Here are the days in Finnish:
- Monday – maanantai
- Tuesday – tiistai
- Wednesday – keskiviikko
- Thursday – torstai
- Friday – perjantai
- Saturday – lauantai
- Sunday – sunnuntai
Example: maanantai 14.3.2024 (“Monday, March 14, 2024”).
Useful Phrases for Talking About Dates in Finnish
- Mikä päivä tänään on? – What day is it today?
- Tänään on… – Today is…
- Milloin sinä synnyit? – When were you born?
- Minun syntymäpäiväni on… – My birthday is…
Tips for Mastering Dates in Finnish
- Practice ordinal numbers and month names regularly.
- Listen to native speakers or use language apps like Talkpal to hear how dates are pronounced.
- Write out dates from your daily life (appointments, holidays, etc.) in Finnish as practice.
- Watch the news or read Finnish calendars to see how dates appear in real life contexts.
Conclusion
Telling the date in Finnish might seem tricky at first, but with consistent practice and exposure, it will soon become second nature. Remember to use ordinal numbers for the day, the partitive form for the month, and familiarize yourself with both written and spoken formats. Regular practice with resources like the Talkpal AI language learning blog will help you gain confidence and sound more natural when discussing dates in Finnish. Happy learning and hyvää päivänjatkoa (have a nice day)!
