Friday, December 27, 2013

How to use the Finnish word 'väli'

The days between Christmas and New Year's Eve are called välipäivät in Finnish. Väli is a space between times or places, and it is used in many compound words and expressions.

  1. Tämä on vain väliaikaista.
  2. Lähtekää sairaalaan, kun supistusten väli on viisi minuuttia.
  3. Olemme jo puolivälissä.
  4. Haluatko välipalaa?
  5. Tule tänne välittömästi!
  6. Tulkaa välipäivinä kylään!
  7. Masentavaa pitää joululomalla välikausihaalareita!
  8. Kuinka kauan väliaika kestää?
  9. Mitä väliä sillä on?
  10. Minun oli pakko jättää suihku välistä.

Translations

  1. Tämä on vain väliaikaista. - This is only temporary.
  2. Lähtekää sairaalaan, kun supistusten väli on viisi minuuttia.  - Start heading to the hospital when the contractions are five minutes apart.
  3. Olemme jo puolivälissä. - We're already half way there.
  4. Haluatko välipalaa? - Do you want to have a snack?
  5. Tule tänne välittömästi! - Come here immediately!
  6. Tulkaa välipäivinä kylään! - Come and visit us between Christmas and New Year's Eve!
  7. Masentavaa pitää joululomalla välikausihaalareita! - How depressing to wear the spring/fall overalls on Christmas vacation! (The term välikausi is used for spring and fall, the seasons between winter and summer, in association with children's clothing.)
  8. Kuinka kauan väliaika kestää? - How long does the intermission last?
  9. Mitä väliä sillä on? - What difference does it make?
  10. Minun oli pakko jättää suihku välistä. - I had to skip the shower.


About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.


Saturday, December 21, 2013

Declining the Finnish numbers

"Always use partitive after the numbers that are bigger than 1." 

You've probably heard that many times, but I'm sure you've also noticed that sometimes the numbers themselves appear in different cases, and look strange. If the number is in some other case, the partitive rule doesn't apply, but you have to have the following word in the same form as well. Here's a post about the numbers in genitive and partitive forms. Kiitos ideasta, Christina!

Partitive


  • yhtä: Sä muistutat yhtä mun kaveria. - You remind (me) of a friend of mine.
  • kahta: Minä puhun vain kahta kieltä. - I speak only two languages. 
  • kolmea: Luen kolmea kirjaa yhtä aikaa. - I'm reading three books at the same time. 
  • neljää: Opiskelen neljää kieltä. - I study four languages.
  • viittä: Mä katson säännöllisesti viittä eri tv-sarjaa. - I watch regularly five different tv series. 
  • kuutta: Mä olen käynyt katsomassa jo kuutta asuntoa. - I've already gone to see six apartments.
  • seitsemää: En jaksa juosta seitsemää kilometriä. - I can't run for seven kilometres. 
  • kahdeksaa: Minä tilaan kahdeksaa eri aikakauslehteä. - I subscribe to eight different magazines. 
  • yhdeksää: Minulla ei ole yhdeksää euroa. - I don't have nine euros.
  • kymmentä: Muista tulla ennen kymmentä! - Remember to come before ten!

Genitive


  • yhden: Mä haluan kertoa sulle yhden jutun. - I want to tell you one thing. 
  • kahden: Asun kahden kämppiksen kanssa. - I live with two flatmates. 
  • kolmen: Soitan sinulle kolmen jälkeen. - I'll call you after three o'clock.
  • neljän: Mä tein sen mun neljän kaverin vuoksi. - I did it because of my four friends. 
  • viiden:  Hän reputti kokeen viiden pisteen takia. - He failed the exam because of five points. 
  • kuuden: Mun piti pysähtyä kuuden kilometrin kohdalla. - I had to stop at six kilometres. 

Notice how the genitive of the numbers 7-10 are the same as the basic form:

  • seitsemän: Ota kakku pois seitsemän minuutin päästä. - Take the cake out after seven minutes. 
  • kahdeksan: Mä tulen takaisin kahdeksan päivän kuluttua. - I'll come back after eight days.
  • yhdeksän: Tämä on yhdeksän tunnin lento. - This is a nine hour flight. 
  • kymmenen: Meillä on kymmenen vuoden vuokrasopimus. - We have a ten year rental contract. 

Once you know the genitive form, just drop the n and add the other case ending.

  • viisi > viiden > viideltä: Minulla on opiskelijoita viideltä mantereelta. - I have students from five continents.
  • kuusi > kuuden > kuudessa: Olen asunut kuudessa eri maassa. - I've lived in six different countries.

Related posts:




About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.

Friday, December 20, 2013

How to stay and leave in Finnish

  • Jää tänne! - Stay here!
  • Älä jätä minua! - Don't leave me!

Jäädä is to stay, to remain. Jättää is to leave something or somebody. Wherever you stay or whatever you leave, in Finnish, you do it into somewhere. (Or to someone.) Sometimes the verbs might also take some other endings. Here are the four important forms of both verbs and some example sentences with translations.

Jäädä, jään, jäin, jäänyt                        


  1. Mun lompakko jäi kotiin.
  2. Minne te jäitte? 
  3. Aiotko jäädä sänkyyn koko päiväksi? 
  4. Voisinpa jäädä tänne koko viikoksi!
  5. Miksi sinä et jäänyt aamiaiselle?
  6. Murhan motiivi jäi epäselväksi. 
  7. Pakastinarkku jäi tutkimatta.

Translations:

  1. Mun lompakko jäi kotiin. - I left my wallet at home. (My wallet stayed at home.)
  2. Minne te jäitte? - Where were you? (Where did you stay?)
  3. Aiotko jäädä sänkyyn koko päiväksi? - Are you going to stay in bed all day?
  4. Voisinpa jäädä tänne koko viikoksi! - If I could only stay here for the whole week!
  5. Miksi sinä et jäänyt aamiaiselle? - Why didn't you stay for breakfast?
  6. Murhan motiivi jäi epäselväksi. - The motive of the murder was left unclear.
  7. Pakastinarkku jäi tutkimatta. - The freezer box was left uninvestigated.


Jättää, jätän, jätin, jättänyt


  1. Mä jätin mun lompakon vahingossa kotiin.
  2. Älä jätä minua tänne!
  3. Voitko jättää sen oven auki?
  4. Miksi sinä et jättänyt meille mitään?
  5. Kirjailija jätti lopun epäselväksi.
  6. Poliisi jätti pakastinarkun tutkimatta.

Translations:

  1. Mä jätin mun lompakon vahingossa kotiin. - I accidentally left my wallet at home. 
  2. Älä jätä minua tänne! - Don't leave me here!
  3. Voitko jättää sen oven auki? - Can you leave the door open?
  4. Miksi sinä et jättänyt meille mitään? - Why didn't you leave anything for us?
  5. Kirjailija jätti lopun epäselväksi. - The author left the end unclear.
  6. Poliisi jätti pakastinarkun tutkimatta. - The police left the freezer box uninvestigated. 



About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  

Thursday, December 19, 2013

How to use the Finnish verbs 'löytää' and 'lyödä'

These two verbs are often mixed, probably because of the diphtongs öy, and öi are kind of tricky anyway. I hope that this post helps you to remember the difference.

Löytää is to find, and its four important forms are löytää, löydän, löysin and löytänyt.


  • Sinun on pakko löytää se avain. - You must find the key.
  • En löytänyt sitä mistään. - I didn't find it anywhere. 
  • Minä kyllä löydän sen! - I'll definitely find it!
  • Kuka tämän löysi? - Who found this?
  • Mistä sinä löysit tämän? - Where did you find this? (Notice that we find from somewhere.)
  • Ihanaa, että löysin sinut! - How lovely that I found you!

Lyödä is to hit, to punch. The four important forms are lyödä, lyön, löin and lyönyt.


  • Älä lyö! - Don't hit!
  • Kumpi löi ensin? - Who punched first?
  • En minä lyönyt! - It wasn't me who hit!
  • Ei saa lyödä! - No hitting!
  • Miksi sinä löit pikkusiskoa? - Why did you hit your little sister?
  • Onko sinua koskaan lyöty? - Have you ever been punched?

Katso video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PwIcXDnK8c 


Lue lisää: 





About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

Sunday, December 15, 2013

How to use the Finnish words 'luona', 'luota' and 'luokse'

This is how you talk about being at someone's home or at someone's presence.


  • Olin koko illan Elinan luona. - I spent the whole evening at Elina's place. 
  • Tuletko sinä konserttiin suoraan Elinan luota? - Will you come to the concert straight from Elina's place?
  • Tuletko huomenna Elinan luokse? - Will you come to Elina's place tomorrow? (You can also say Elinan luo.)

If you want, you can skip the whole word and use the external local endings instead:


  • Olin koko illan Elinalla. - I spent the whole evening at Elina's place. 
  • Tuletko sinä konserttiin suoraan Elinalta? - Will you come to the concert straight from Elina's place?
  • Tuletko huomenna Elinalle? - Will you come to Elina's place tomorrow? 

Terveisiä Elinalle! - Greetings to Elina!




Lue lisää: 




About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Lahjaideoita - Gift ideas

Do you still need a christmas gift for someone? Here are some ideas.

  • Soiva laulukirja - A song book that plays the melodies. This is really, really good, and can entertain kids for hours. And you'll learn Finnish, too. (Read about the soiva grammar here.)

  • Taidepakka - A deck of A5 size cards about the masterpieces of Finnish art. Stylish, sophisticated and educational! Also, if you're ever going to visit Ateneum in Helsinki, it's good to know something about the artwork beforehand.



  • Finally, why not surprise your friend and book a Finnish class in Skype? Or in Jyväskylä, if you live here. Since my first session is free, this gift doesn't even cost anything for you. You can also arrange some quality time with your friend and start taking Finnish lessons together! Only your imagination is the limit. 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Söpö

Finland has voted! According to Ilta-Sanomat, these are the three cutest teen idols. Usually the word söpö is used when referring to babies, toddlers, animals and teen idols.

  • söpö - cute
  • söpömpi - cuter
  • söpöin - the cutest

If you see something cute happening (like these dancing bears), you can just say Söpöä! - How cute! In this case, you could also use the plural partitive Söpöjä!

Monday, December 2, 2013

Having to do something in Finnish

Here's a post about how to express necessity in Finnish.

First of all, whoever has to do something, is strangely in the genitive form:


  • minun (minä)
  • sinun (sinä)
  • hänen (hän)
  • meidän (me)
  • teidän (te)
  • heidän (he)
  • Kallen (Kalle)
  • Mikon (Mikko, notice the consonant change.)
  • George Clooneyn (George Clooney, notice how you only declinate the last name.)


The first verb is always in the third person singular form:


  • pitää (have to)
  • täytyy (have to)
  • on pakko (must)

Ta-daa, here are the sentences:


  • Minun täytyy ostaa uusi takki. - I have to buy a new jacket.
  • Minun pitää ostaa uusi takki. - I have to buy a new jacket. 
  • Minun on pakko ostaa uusi takki. - I absolutely must buy a new jacket. 

In the negative sentences, use the verb tarvita.

  • Minun ei tarvitse ostaa uutta takkia. 

In past tense, it goes like this:



  • Minun täytyi ostaa uusi takki. - I had to buy a new jacket.
  • Minun piti ostaa uusi takki. - I had to buy a new jacket. 
  • Minun oli pakko ostaa uusi takki. - I absolutely had to buy a new jacket.
  • Minun ei tarvinnut ostaa uutta takkia. - I didn't have to buy a new jacket.  

(If you are a beginner, you might want to stop reading now.)


Perfect tense:


  • Minun on täytynyt ostaa uusi takki. - I have had to buy a new jacket.
  • Minun on pitänyt ostaa uusi takki. - I have had to buy a new jacket. 
  • Minun on ollut pakko ostaa uusi takki. - I absolutely have to buy a new jacket. 
  • Minun ei ole tarvinnut ostaa uutta takkia. - I haven't had to buy a new jacket. 

If you want to say should, just add the conditional isi. This works only in present and perfect tenses.


The conditional in present tense:



  • Minun täytyisi ostaa uusi takki. - I should buy a new jacket.
  • Minun pitäisi ostaa uusi takki. - I should buy a new jacket. 
  • Minun olisi pakko ostaa uusi takki. - I would absolutely have to buy a new jacket. 

The conditional in perfect tense:


  • Minun olisi täytynyt ostaa uusi takki. - I should have bought a new jacket.
  • Minun olisi pitänyt ostaa uusi takki. - I should have bought a new jacket.
  • Minun olisi ollut pakko ostaa uusi takki. - I would have absolutely had to buy a new jacket. 

If you want to ask something, just add ko or to the verb.

  • Pitääkö minun ostaa uusi takki? - Do I have to buy a new jacket?
  • Pitikö minun ostaa uusi takki? - Did I have to buy a new jacket?
  • Pitäisikö minun ostaa uusi takki? - Should I buy a new jacket?
  • Olisiko minun pitänyt ostaa uusi takki? - Should I have bought a new jacket?

Notice the tiny difference between these two sentences: 

  • Eikö sinun pitänyt ostaa uutta takkia? - Didn't you have to buy a new jacket?
  • Eikö sinun pitänyt ostaa uusi takki? - Weren't you supposed to buy a new jacket?

About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

Saturday, November 30, 2013

How to answer the question 'Missä?' in Finnish

Here's how to answer the question where? in Finnish. 

These words usually take the internal ending ssa or ssä:


  • saunassa - in the sauna
  • museossa - in the museum
  • teatterissa - in the theatre
  • oopperassa - in the opera
  • koulussa - at the school
  • kirjastossa - in the library
  • kaupassa - in the store
  • baarissa - in the bar
  • matkakeskuksessa - in the travel center
  • ravintolassa - in the restaurant
  • apteekissa - in the pharmacy
  • autotallissa - in the garage
  • uimahallissa - in the swimming hall
  • elokuvateatterissa - in the movie theatre
  • huoneessa - in the room
  • keittiössä - in the kitchen
  • hotellissa - at the hotel.
  • pubissa - in the pub
  • vessassa - in the toilet
  • päiväkodissa - in the kindergarten
  • hississä - in the elevator
  • narikassa - at the coat check
  • omakotitalossa - in a single house (own home house)
  • sairaalassa - in the hospital
  • konsertissa - at the concert
  • järvessä - in the lake (in the water)
  • joessa - in the river (in the water)

These ones are usually outside, but still take the internal ending:


  • puistossa - at the park
  • puutarhassa - in the garden
  • eläintarhassa - in the zoo
  • satamassa - at the harbour
  • keskustassa - in the city centre
  • metsässä - in the forest

These words are usually with the external ending lla or llä.


  • torilla - at the market square
  • kadulla - on the street
  • vuorella - on the mountain (but Laajavuoressa, if you live there.)
  • joella - by the river
  • yliopistolla - at the university
  • rannalla - on the beach
  • mökillä - at the summer cottage (the area, not just the cabin)
  • järvellä - by the lake, on the lake
  • parvekkeella - on the balcony
  • terassilla - on the terrace

This ending is used even if you are inside:


  • kuntosalilla - at the gym
  • klubilla - at the club
  • lentoasemalla - at the plane station
  • rautatieasemalla - at the railway station
  • huoltoasemalla - at the gas station
  • kioskilla - at the kiosk
  • kurssilla - taking a course


Of course, there has to be an exception: 


  • kotona - at home


Notice the difference between these sentences:


  • Olen töissä yliopistossa. - I work in the university. (University is an institution.)
  • Olin koko päivän yliopistolla. - I spent the whole day at the university. (University is a place.)
  • Tavataan toimistossa. - Let's meet in the office. (Inside.)
  • Tavataan toimistolla. - Let's meet at the office. (Also inside, but could also be by the coffee machine, not necessary in the actual office room.)

Related posts:




About the author of this blog: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Describing your day

It's fun to see what kind of things people search for and then end up to my blog. The latest one is describing your day in Finnish. I haven't had anything about it yet, so here are some typical sentences about describing your day. I'm warning you - this person's day is kind of boring. Feel free to share your more exciting sentences in the comments!

  • Mä herään yleensä seitsemältä. - Usually I wake up at seven.
  • Sitten mä keitän kahvia ja käyn suihkussa. - Then I make some coffee and take a shower. 
  • Mä juon kahvia ja syön aamupalaa. - I drink some coffee and eat breakfast. 
  • Joskus mä juon teetä. - Sometimes I drink tea. 
  • syön jogurttia ja leipää ja jotain hedelmiä. - I eat yogurt and bread and some fruit.
  • Mä luen sanomalehteä ja tarkistan sähköpostit ja kavereiden Facebook-päivitykset. - I read the newspaper and check my emails and my friends' Facebook updates. 
  • Sitten mä lähden töihin. - Then I leave for work. 
  • Mä menen yleensä bussilla tai pyörällä. - Usually I go by bus or by bike. 
  • Jos mä olen nukkunut pommiin, mä menen omalla autolla. - If I've slept in, I drive my own car.
  • Töissä on tosi kivaa! - It's really fun at work!
  • Töiden jälkeen mä käyn ruokakaupassa ja hoidan asioita keskustassa.  - After work I go to the grocery store and run some errands in the city centre. 
  • Illalla mä käyn lenkillä, käyn saunassa ja katson telkkaria. - In the evening I go exercising, have a sauna and watch tv. 
  • juttelen mun siskon kanssa Skypessä. - I talk with my sister in Skype. 
  • Sitten mä pesen hampaat ja luen sängyssä kirjaa. - Then I brush my teeth and read a book in the bed. 
  • laitan valot pois yleensä yhdeltätoista. - I turn the lights out usually at eleven o'clock.

(I had a list of sentences about household chores, but it that was just too depressing, so I'll have a special post about them later.)

If you have kids, you might need these ones:

  • Mä puen lapsille päivävaatteet ja talvivaatteet. - I dress the kids into day clothes and winter clothes.
  • Mä leikin lasten kanssa.  - I play with the children.
  • Mä hoidan vauvaa. - I take care of the baby. 
  • Mä syötän vauvan. - I feed the baby. (Notice the difference between syön and syötän.)
  • Mä laitan lapset nukkumaan. - I put the kids to bed. 
  • Mä etsin kadonneita lapasia. - I look for the lost mittens. 
  • Mä kaivan legopalikoita sohvan sisältä. - I pick up lego blocks from inside of the sofa. 

(Hmm. I just realized that maybe the person wanted to describe his or her day in the past tense. Oh no. I'll add the past tense forms in the comments later. )

Sunday, November 24, 2013

How to talk like an almost two-year-old

I've been waiting for my almost two-year-old to come up with enough (proper) two-word expressions so I could make a post about them. I don't know much about child language development, but I will pay close attention to my daughter's language as I want to know exactly when her Finnish is better than my husband's, who's not a native Finnish speaker. Our 4,5-year-old son is already outsmarting him when it comes to Finnish peculiarities such as verb rections. When it comes to vocabulary, and obviously reading and writing, my husband is still a bit better in Finnish than the kids. :)

  • Minun äiti! - My mother!
  • Minun vuoro! - My turn!
  • Lisää vettä, kiitos! - More water, please!
  • Lisää maitoa! - More milk!
  • Isä tuli! - Daddy came!
  • Pissa tuli! - Pee came!
  • Ei puuroa! - No porridge!
  • Ei yhtään! - Not at all!
  • Nyt nukkumaan! - Now to sleep!
  • Mene pois! - Go away!
  • Älä puhu. - Don't speak. 
  • Älä laula! - Don't sing!
  • Anna pusu! - Give (me) a kiss!
  • Iso tyttö, iso kakka. - Big girl, big poop.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Ikävä

Ikävä is an interesting word. It is an adjective with many slightly different meanings, but it is also used when missing somebody.

Ikävä as an adjective:

  • Minulla on ikäviä uutisia. - I have sad news.
  • Se on tosi ikävä kuulla. - That's really sad to hear.
  • Onpa ikävä ilma! - What a miserable weather!
  • Olipa ikävä ihminen! - Well that was an unpleasant person!
  • Ikävä kyllä, minä en voi tulla. - Unfortunately, I cannot come.

Use the structure minulla on ikävä when missing someone:

  • Minulla on isää ikävä! - I miss dad!
  • Minulla on kauhean ikävä sinua. - I miss you terribly.
  • Minulla on ollut sinua niin kova ikävä! - I've missed you so much! (kova = hard)
  • Oliko sinulla ikävä minua? - Did you miss me?
  • Onko sinulla koti-ikävä? - Are you homesick?
  • Minulle tuli yhtäkkiä kamala koti-ikävä!! - I suddenly became horribly homesick!

Notice that you miss someone in partitive:

  • Minulla on ikävä äitiä. - I miss mom. (Yes, the word order is flexible!)

In spoken language, the pronouns shorten:

  • Mulla on ikävä sua. - I miss you. 
  • Tuliko sulle äitiä ikävä? - Did you start missing your mom? (Oh, sorry about the bad translation, but there's a difference between missing, mulla on ikävä, and starting to miss, mulle tulee ikävä.)

If you're not sad enough by now, here's a song called Ikävä by Pave Maijanen. Nyyh!


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

About the author of this blog:

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti, and I am a native Finn who gives private lessons via Skype and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please leave a comment, if you have something to ask about Finnish or novels in easy Finnish.


Lue lisää selkokirjoistani: www.hannamannikkolahti.com
Voit myös seurata YouTube-kanavaani ja Podcast-kanavaani.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Asiointisuomea - Running errands in Finnish

Asiointisuomea is a great online material provided by Yle. The videos and scripts are in colloqiuial Finnish. 


First, some vocabulary: 

  • asia  - a thing, a matter
  • asioida - to run errands
  • asiointi - running errands


Paikat - Places


  • kuntosalilla - at the gym
  • onnettomuustilanteessa - in an accident
  • ruokakaupassa - in a grocery store
  • kahvilassa ja ravintolassa - in a cafe and in a restaurant
  • kirjastossa - in the library
  • lääkärissä - at the doctor's
  • pankissa ja vakuutusyhtiössä - in the bank and an insurance company
  • puhelinoperaattorin liikkeessä - in a teleoperator store
  • vaatekaupassa - in a clothes store


Kuva: https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/asiointisuomea



About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 



Monday, November 11, 2013

How to talk about courses, classes and lectures in Finnish

Pay attention to these nouns when talking about studying:

  1. kurssi
  2. tunti
  3. luento
  4. luokka


1. Kurssi is a course.


Notice that it takes the external endings: kurssilla, kurssilta, kurssille - in the course, from the course, to the course.

  • Me ollaan samalla kurssilla. - We are in the same course. 
  • Kuinka monta kurssia sulla on tänä syksynä? - How many courses are you taking this fall?
  • Onko teidän kurssilla kivoja ihmisiä? - Are there nice people in your course?

2. Tunti is an hour, but it is also used when referring to a class, lesson or a lecture - even if it would last less or more than an actual hour. 


Oppitunti is the more formal form of the word.

  • Nähdään ruotsin tunnin jälkeen! - See you after the Swedish class!
  • Mitä te teitte viime tunnilla? - What did you do in the last class?
  • En pääse tänään tunnille. - I can't make it to the class today. 

3. Luento is used for a lecture when there's actually a person lecturing while the class is quite passively listening. 


(Notice that luonto is nature, and luonne is personality)


4. Luokka is both the classroom, a group of people in a school, and a grade/year.


  • Tässä luokassa haisee kummalliselta. - It smells weird in this classroom.
  • Miksi me ollaan taas eri luokassa? - Why are we in a different classroom again?
  • Me oltiin samalla luokalla lukiossa. - We were in the same class in high school.
  • Kuinka monta oppilasta teidän luokalla on? - How many pupils are there in your class?
  • Meidän luokalla on 20, mutta venäjän ryhmässä on vain kymmenen. - There's 20 in our class, but only ten in the Russian group.
  • Millä luokalla sinä olet? - Which grade/year are you?

Related posts:






About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Ymmärrä suomea!

Here's a good website that I had almost forgotten. You can read the texts, lukutekstit, study the grammar, kielioppi, and check the words from a word list based on each text, tekstikohtainen sanasto.

When you click tehtävät, exercises, you can read and listen to the texts in short chapters and answer multiple choice questions. The website is published by Finnish National Board of Education.

Ymmärrä suomea! = Understand Finnish!


Thursday, November 7, 2013

What to read in Finnish?

If you want to know what the Finns are reading right now, here's a list of the most popular books, at least according to the biggest bookstores and supermarkets. Some libraries also publish lists of books that have the most reservations at the moment.

When my students ask me what to read in Finnish, I always recommend  a detective novel, because the plot is usually quite catchy, or an autobiography, because the true story should be easy to follow. It might also be fun to read a non-Finnish novel that has been translated into Finnish, and then compare it to the original version. I'm not too picky about books. Whichever book I want to finish is good for its purpose.

Here are some Finnish books that you might find interesting to read.

Books by immigrants:


Finnish authors writing about immigrants in Finland:

Which books have you read in Finnish? Please help me to complete this post by leaving a message in the comment box. Kiitos!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

How to make friends in Finnish

Finns don't really make friends. Instead, we use the verbs saada or sometimes hankkia in association with new friendships:

Saada (to get, to receive)


  • Mä sain kielikurssilta paljon uusia kavereita. - I got many new friends from the language course. 
  • The four important forms are saada, saan, sain and saanut 

Hankkia  (to get, to obtain, to acquire)



Also tavata and tutustua are useful in this context:


  • Tapasitko uusia ihmisiä? - Did you meet new people?
  • Tapasin, mutta en vielä tunne niitä kovin hyvin. - Yes I did, but I don't know them that well yet. 
  • Tutustuitko uusiin ihmisiin? - Did you get to know new people?
  • Mä olen vieläkin tekemisissä samojen ihmisten kanssa, joihin tutustuin lukiossa. - I'm still in touch with the same people that I got to know in high school. 


I'd say that the best way is to find a hobby that enables you to get to know new people while doing something together, preferably without alcohol. Join a sports team, a choir, or a folk school course


What to say in Finnish once you know who you want to be friends with:


1. Suggest something extra that you could do together.


  • Hei, huvittaisiko sua tulla joskus meille? - Hi, would you feel like coming to my place sometime?
  • Mentäisiinkö joskus yhdessä ulos? - How about going out together sometime?

2. If you are afraid that your suggestion is too straightforward, say that there will also be other people.


  • Kallekin tulee. - Kalle is coming, too.  
  • Pyydetään muitakin mukaan. - Let's ask the others along, too. 


3. If you mention food, people will definitely want to hang out with you!


  • Mennään jonnekin syömään. - Let's go to eat somewhere. 
  • Laitetaan vaikka ruokaa yhdessä. - Let's cook together or something. (Vaikka means although, but it is also often used as for example.)
  • Mä voin opettaa sua tekemään vietnamilaista ruokaa. - I can teach you how to cook Vietnamese food.


4. Set a date and time instead of just talking about random future.


  • Sopisiko sulle ensi tiistaina kuudelta? - Would next Tuesday at 6 PM work for you?
  • Tavataanko keskustassa viideltä? - Shall me meet downtown at five?





About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

How to talk about many, all and everything in Finnish

I've noticed that this topic is quite tricky for many Finnish learners. I hope that this post is helpful. 

  • monta: Minulla on monta hyvää ystävää. - I have many good friends. 
  • paljon: Onko sulla paljon suomalaisia kavereita? - Do you have a lot of Finnish friends? 
  • moni: Moni mun kavereista on jo naimisissa. - Many of my friends are already married.
  • monet: Monet mun kavereista ovat jo naimisissa. - Many of my friends are already married. 
  • kaikki: Kaikki mun vanhat lukiokaverit asuvat Helsingissä. - All my old high school friends live in Helsinki. 

Monta is always followed by a singular partitive:


  • Minulla on monta hyvää ystävää.  - I have many good friends. 
  • Kuinka monta Facebook-kaveria sulla on? - How many Facebook friends do you have?
  • Mä yritin soittaa sulle monta kertaa. - I tried to call you many times.

Monet is always followed by a t-plural:


  • Monet suomalaiset puhuvat hyvää englantia. - Many Finns speak good English.
  • Monet luulevat, että Suomessa on jääkarhuja. - Many people think that there are polar bears in Finland.

Notice that you can also use the singular form moni: 


  • Moni suomalainen puhuu hyvää englantia. - Many Finns speak good English.
  • Moni luulee, että Suomessa on jääkarhuja. - Many people think that there are polar bears in Finland.

Kaikki is also followed by a t-plural:


  • Kaikki mun vanhat lukiokaverit asuvat Helsingissä. - All my old high school friends live in Helsinki. 
  • Kaikki mun tavarat varastettiin! - All my things were stolen!
  • Missä kaikki muut ovat? - Where are all the others?


How to use paljon?


Paljon is followed by a plural partitive when talking about concrete, countable things. 

  • Onko sulla paljon suomalaisia kavereita? - Do you have a lot of Finnish friends? 
  • Tuolla on paljon ihmisiä. - There are a lot of people over there. 
  • Muista syödä paljon vihanneksia. - Remember to eat a lot of vegetables. 

Paljon is followed by a singular partitive when talking about uncountable things, also know as mass nouns:

  • Juo paljon vettä. - Drink a lot of water. 
  • Sinä syöt liian paljon sokeria. - You eat too much sugar. 
  • Minulla on paljon aikaa. - I have a lot of time.

Also vähän, (a little), liikaa (too much) and tarpeeksi (enough) behave the same way as paljon.





About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  

 

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Learning Finnish for a movie role

This is interesting. A Swedish actor has been chosen to play a Finnish character in a Finnish movie Vadelmavenepakolainen, and that's why he is now intensively studying Finnish. He says that he didn't know any Finnish before he started taking classes twice a week last summer. Vadelmavenepakolainen is a very funny novel by Miika Nousiainen. In short, it's a story of a Finnish man who is obsessed with everything Swedish. I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie, not just because the book was really good, but also because of the language. Hyvä, Jonas!

Oh, vadelmavene is a raspberry-flavoured candy shaped of a boat and pakolainen is a refugee.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Finnish words with nothing but u's

Inspired by a little lady who can ask for plums, here's a list of Finnish words  and expressions that don't have any other vowels but u's. Just for the fun of it.

  1. huhu
  2. hupsu
  3. juju
  4. juttu
  5. kuu
  6. luu
  7. luumu
  8. muu
  9. nuppu
  10. puklu
  11. pusu
  12. ruusu
  13. suu
  14. tupsu
  15. Tuu, muru!
  16. Puhu, hullu!
  17. Sun huppu juuttuu puuhun.
  18. Pulu nukkuu.
  19. Mun tuttu puuttuu.
  20. Sun pupu hukkuu. 
Here are the translations:
  1. a rumor
  2. silly 
  3. a catch, a trick
  4. a thing
  5. a moon
  6. a bone
  7. a plum
  8. other
  9. a bud
  10. baby barf
  11. a kiss
  12. a rose
  13. a mouth
  14. a tassel
  15. Come, darling!
  16. Speak, you crazy!
  17. Your hood is getting stuck in a tree. 
  18. A pigeon is sleeping. 
  19. My acquaintance is missing. 
  20. Your bunny rabbit is drowning.
............................

About the author of this blog:  


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti, and I am a native Finn who gives private lessons via Skype and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please leave a comment, if you have something to ask about Finnish.