How to Speak Finnish

Co-authored by Tian Zhou

Last Updated: February 19, 2023 References

Finnish does not have to be a difficult language. Like most languages, you can learn to speak Finnish with time, effort, and dedication. Start by giving yourself a strong basis in the sounds and phrases of the language. Practice often using smart techniques, and practice it on fluent speakers as often as possible. If you keep it up, you may become fluent before you know it.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Mastering the Basics

1
Practice pronouncing Finnish vowels. Finnish has a heavy emphasis on vowels, and its alphabet contains some vowels that are not used in English. Before you start studying Finnish, you should learn how to read and pronounce its alphabet. Since Finnish words are spelled exactly how they are pronounced, this will help you learn vocabulary more quickly.
- A (IPA: /a/): pronounced like English “father” or “calm”
- O (IPA: /o/): pronounced like a prolonged 'o' in 'or'.
- U (IPA: /u/): pronounced like the English 'U' in 'Uber'.
- I (IPA: /i/): pronounced like the English 'ea' in 'Easter' or 'e' in 'email'
- E (IPA: /e/): pronounced like “bed”
- Ä (IPA: /ae/): pronounced like English 'a' in "hat”
- Ö (IPA: /ø/): pronounced like English 'i' in “girl”
- Y (IPA: /y/): No clear equivalent, although briefly appears in the words ex. "to", "you", and "new". Similar to the German “ü.”
- A double vowel in a word simply means that you pronounce it for twice as long.
2
Learn the differences between English and Finnish consonants. Most consonants in Finnish are pronounced similarly to those in English. This includes the pronunciation for the letters D, L, M, N, NG, P, S, and T. However, Finnish consonants are cleaner and consonants such as T don't have any "h" quality to them and thus sounds closer to a D. The letters B, C, F, G, Q, X, and Z are only used in loanwords. There are a few differences between English and Finnish consonants. These include:
- Always pronounce H. Your H should sound breathy, as though you are puffing air every time you pronounce it.
- J is pronounced like “y” is in English.
- V is weaker in Finnish than in English. As you pronounce it, try touching your teeth against your bottom lip very lightly.
- A double consonant (such as in the word takka) is pronounced with a brief pause or hesitation between the two consonants.
- W and X are not used in Finnish except in loan words.
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3
Memorize basic greetings. It is good to have a stock of simple phrases you can use to say hello and goodbye to people. Practice repeating these phrases back to yourself. You can also listen to videos or audio clips online to help you get used to hearing the language as well. Some good phrases are: ^{[1]
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- Hei: hi, hello
- Moi: hello (informal, used with friends)
- Hyvää huomenta: Good morning
- Hyvää päivää: Good day
- Hyvää iltaa: good evening
- Mitä kuuluu?: How are you?
- Nähdään myöhemmin: See you later
- Hauska tavata: Nice to meet you
- Tervetuloa: Welcome
- Kiitos: Thank you
- Anteeksi: sorry, excuse me
- Näkemiin: goodbye
4
Ask and answer simple questions. To have a conversation in Finnish, you may find it useful to start by asking questions. These conversational questions can let you practice responding in Finnish while helping you get the information you need.
- Paljonko tämä maksaa?: How much does this cost?
- Anteeksi, missä on _____?: Excuse me, where is ________?
- Voisitteko auttaa minua?: Could you please help me?
- Puhutko englantia: Do you speak English?
- Mistä sinä olet kotoisin?: Where are you from?
  - Minä olen kotoisin_____: I am from _____.
- Mikä sinun nimesi on?: What is your name?
  - Minun nimeni on_______: My name is_________.
5
Count simple numbers. Numbers are important to help you find and buy things while you are in a Finland. After learning one through ten in Finnish, you can attach endings to make numbers 11-90.
- one = yksi
- two = kaksi
- three = kolme
- four = neljä
- five = viisi
- six = kuusi
- seven = seitsemän
- eight = kahdeksan
- nine = yhdeksän
- ten = kymmenen
- For numbers 11-19, all you have to do is to add the word -toista in the end of the finnish number between 1-9. (eleven= yksitoista; twelve=kaksitoista; thirteen = kolmetoista, etc.)
- For the numbers 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90, just take a number between 1-9 and add the word -kymmentä, at the end. Example: Kaksi (two) + -kymmentä = Kaksikymmentä, which means twenty in Finnish.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Studying Finnish Effectively

1
Practice every day. Learning a language like Finnish requires you to study frequently. Studying for even ten minutes a day can help speed up your language learning. Set a schedule for yourself to study, and stick with it. Some tricks you can try include:
- Study vocabulary before you go to bed and after you wake up. This may help aid with memory.
- Listen to Finnish music and radio while you cook, clean, or drive.
- Set a time everyday where you go through your grammar exercises.
- Set up weekly study sessions with other Finnish learners.
2
Study vocabulary with note cards. Vocabulary is important to any language, and you will want to memorize as many words as you can in Finnish. A good way to do this is to write up note cards. Put the Finnish word on one side and the English definition on the other. Flip through these every day to improve your memory.
- If you do not want to use physical note cards, you can study using a note card app or through an online website.
3
Complete grammar exercises. Learning to speak Finnish is about more than just memorization. You will have to constantly test yourself to make sure that you can recall important grammatical forms. You can find grammar exercises in a number of places. Do between three and five exercises a day to help you learn the nuances of the language.
- Most Finnish textbooks will contain exercises in them.
- Websites such as Oneness, Venla,^{[2]
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- You can also look for mobile apps that will help test your Finnish abilities.
4
Watch Finnish entertainment. A great way to naturally pick up Finnish is to watch or listen to Finnish media. Thanks to the internet, Finnish television, radio, music, and podcasts are all available to learners, who want to adjust their ears to the sounds of the language. There are a number of websites where you can stream Finnish entertainment. These include:
- Yle^{[4]
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- MTV Katsomo^{[5]
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- Tune-In Online Radio^{[6]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Developing Your Speaking Skills

1
Take a class. Classes are a great way to learn the grammar and nuances of a language. Find a class with a qualified instructor who can teach you both the spoken aspects of the language and Finnish grammar.
- The Finnish Consulate in Washington, D.C. offers a list of Finnish courses available in the US on its website.^{[7]
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- Some universities in the UK, such as University College London or University of Westminster, offer Finnish courses.^{[8]
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- If you are in Finland already, you can take a Finnish as a second language course at the University of Helsinki, University of Turku, University of Eastern Finland, and other major universities.^{[9]
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- If you do not have a course in your area, you can take an online course. These may be either a self-directed course or guided courses with instructors. The City of Helsinki offers a list of these courses through its Infopankki website.^{[11]
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2
Hire a tutor. An effective method of learning a language is to listen, understand and repeat. You can look online or in your local area for a Finnish tutor. Your tutor should be a native or fluent speaker of Finnish. Contact local universities, language schools, and exchange programs to see if they can recommend you a tutor.
- If you do not have any Finnish speakers in your area, you can find an online tutor. They will instruct you over a video chat program, such as Skype or Google Hangouts.^{[12]
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- If you want to start with an online tutor, make sure you try it out first. Don’t commit too soon for paying a set of lessons.
3
Find a Skype partner. If you want to practice speaking but you do not know any Finnish speakers, you can find a penpal who will speak to you over Skype. This language partner may not be a formal tutor or instructor, but they can help you practice speaking. You will also get valuable experience hearing the language spoken naturally. You can find speaking partners on a penpal or language exchange website.
4
Attend Finnish cultural events. If you live in an area with Finnish heritage or many Finnish immigrants, you might find a local Finnish cultural group or community center that will host events. These events are good places to meet other Finnish learners as well as fluent speakers.
- Places in the Finnish diaspora are more likely to hold these types of events. This includes places such as Sweden, Estonia, Norway, Canada, the US, and Russia.
- In the US, Finnish cultural groups can be found primarily in Michigan, Minnesota, California, Washington, and Wisconsin.
5
Visit Finland. Immersion is one of the most effective ways to learn a language.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
PLOS ONE
Online peer-reviewed, open access scientific research journal
Go to source} The best way to immerse yourself in Finnish is to visit Finland. Whether you go for a week or for a month, use Finnish as much as possible during your time there. If people try to speak to you in English, let them know that you are learning their language and want as much practice as possible.

Community Q&A

Question

What is the difference between mista and missa?

Community Answer

"Mistä" is used when you want to know where someone is from; such as, "Mistä sinä olet kotoisin?" (Where are you from?) "Missä" is used when you want to know where something is, such as, "Missä on kaukosäädin?" (Where is the remote?)
Question

How do I say that my battery is low in Finnish?

Community Answer

"Akkuni on vähissä." (My battery is running low.) Akku = battery. If you want to specify that your phone's battery is running low, you would say: "Kännykkäni/puhelimeni akku on vähissä." (My phone's battery is running low.) Kännykkä and puhelin mean the same thing, although kännykkä is more informal.
Question

How do I say "best friends" in Finnish?

Community Answer

Say: "Parhaat ystävät" (sounds somewhat formal) or "Parhaat kaverit/kaverukset" (more informal). You can also say: "Me ollaan parhaat kaverit ikuisesti" / "We are the best friends forever" (colloquial/spoken Finnish).

Warnings

Do not fully trust things like Google translate, they often get translations wrong.

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Some people find Finnish to be very difficult. Do not let this discourage you. You can learn to speak Finnish!

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Learning to speak a language takes time and practice.

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