Here's an article about foreigners who study Finnish because of the Finnish heavy metal bands. In my experience, also Kalevala and the Moomins have been an inspiration to many, not to mention the Finnish ski jumpers!
Welcome to my blog! I'm a private Finnish teacher who simplifies novels into easy Finnish. Feel free to contact me for private lessons. If you are looking for an online community for learning Finnish, do check out my friend Emmi's Finking Cap Club.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Love Connection
I wonder if any of these gentlemen read my blog! A reality show where American bachelors spend a summer in Finland trying to find a Finnish girlfriend. Must. Watch. This. The show starts at some point in the fall on YLE TV2. (Update: The show has started and you can also watch it on Yle Areena!)
Monday, June 24, 2013
36 important verbs in Finnish
Here's a list of verbs that you should know in order to understand different instructions. I've picked up these verbs from the English and Finnish Yki demo speaking ad writing tasks. First a list of verbs in the basic form so that you can test yourself, and then some sentences with translations.
Also, ilmaista means to express. It is often used with different feelings, such as in
- antaa palautetta
- ehdottaa
- esitellä
- houkutella
- järjestää
- jättää viesti
- keksiä
- kertoa
- kiittää
- kieltäytyä
- kieltää
- kuvailla
- lainata
- lopettaa puhelu
- mainita
- neuvoa
- pahoitella
- perua
- perustella
- pyytää anteeksi
- pyytää apua
- päättää
- saada puhelu
- selittää
- suositella
- suostua
- suostutella
- tilata
- vaatia hyvitystä
- vaatia selitystä
- valehdella
- valittaa
- vastata puhelimeen
- varata
- varoittaa
- vuokrata
- Anna palautetta hotellihuoneesta. - Give feedback about the hotel room.
- Ehdota uutta aikaa. - Suggest a new time.
- Esittele sukulaisesi suomalaiselle kaverillesi. - Introduce a relative to your Finnish friend.
- Houkuttele ystäväsi mukaan matkalle. - Persuade your friend to come to the trip with you.
- Haluat järjestää tupaantuliaiset. - You want to organize a housewarming party. (Tuparit in spoken language.)
- Jätä viesti esimiehellesi. - Leave a message for your boss.
- Keksi, miksi et voi tulla. - Come up with a reason why you cannot come.
- Kerro, mikä sinua vaivaa. - Tell what's wrong with you.
- Kiitä naapuriasi. - Thank your neighbour.
- Kieltäydy kohteliaasti kutsusta. - Say politely no to the invitation.
- Kiellä lapsia etuilemasta. - Tell the children not to cut in the line.
- Kuvaile varastettua polkupyörääsi. - Describe your stolen bike.
- Haluat lainata naapurisi autoa. - You want to borrow your neighbour's car.
- Lopeta puhelu kohteliaasti. - End the phone conversation politely.
- Mainitse aika, paikka ja osallistujien lukumäärä. - Mention the time, place and the number or participants.
- Neuvo tie apteekkiin. - Give the directions to the pharmacy.
- Pahoittele myöhästymistäsi. - Apologize for the fact that you are late.
- Peru osallistumisesi konferenssiin. - Cancel your conference participation.
- Perustele mielipiteesi. - Provide an explanation for your opinion.
- Pyydä anteeksi huonoa käytöstäsi. - Apologize for your bad behaviour.
- Pyydä apua muilta matkustajilta. - Ask help from the other passengers.
- Päätät järjestää juhlat ystävällesi. - You decide to organize a party for your friend.
- Saat yllättävän puhelun. - You receive a surprising phone call.
- Selitä, miksi et pääse kokoukseen. - Explain, why you cannot make it to the meeting.
- Suosittele uutta ravintolaa ystävillesi. - Recommend the new restaurant to your friends.
- Suostu ehdotukseen. - Agree to the suggestion.
- Suostuttele esimiestäsi palkkaamaan lisää henkilökuntaa. - Persuade your boss to hire more staff.
- Et halua tilata lehteä. - You don't want to subscribe to the magazine.
- Vaadi hyvitystä virheellisestä laitteesta. - Demand a refund for the flawed device.
- Vaadi selitystä siitä, miksi sinua ei kutsuttu. - Demand an explanation for why you were not invited.
- Valehtele, että sinulla on töitä. - Lie, that you have work to do.
- Valita huonosta asiakaspalvelusta. - Complain about the bad customer service.
- Vastaa puhelimeen. - Answer the phone.
- Varaa matka. - Book a trip.
- Varoita ystävääsi asiasta. - Warn your friend about the matter.
- Haluat vuokrata mökin. - You want to rent a cottage.
Also, ilmaista means to express. It is often used with different feelings, such as in
- Ilmaise jännityksesi. - Express your excitement.
- Ilmaise tyytyväisyytesi. - Express your satisfaction.
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, June 8, 2013
Prinsessa Madeleinen häät
Today at 16.35, I'll be sitting at home, watching a Swedish princess getting married to an American businessman. Here's a link to Yle Areena's live broadcast. If you prefer Victoria and Daniel, I suggest Daniel's wedding speech and its Finnish translation.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Giving birth in Finnish
Here are some useful sentences for the hospital, if you are ever giving birth in Finnish:
When the baby is coming, forget Finnish and focus on listening to your body and the midwife, kätilö. Here are some typical sentences you might hear in the delivery room, synnytyssalissa:
When the baby is coming, forget Finnish and focus on listening to your body and the midwife, kätilö. Here are some typical sentences you might hear in the delivery room, synnytyssalissa:
- Nyt meni lapsivesi. - Now the water broke.
- Hengitä syvään. - Take a deep breath.
- Rentoudu. - Relax.
- Nosta tätä jalkaa. - Lift this leg.
- Älä ponnista vielä. - Don't push yet.
- Kuuntele. - Listen.
- Ponnista nyt. - Push now.
- Pää näkyy jo. - I can already see the head.
- Vielä kerran. - One more time.
- Se meni hienosti. - That went well.
- Haluatko leikata napanuoran? - Do you want to cut the umbilical cord?
- Otatko kahvia vai teetä? - Will you take coffee or tea? (After the baby is nursed, washed and swaddled, it's time to have a family snack.)
If everything goes well, you'll have plenty of time to practice Finnish with the nurses, doctors and your possible roommates at the maternity ward, vuodeosastolla:
- Anteeksi, mutta voitteko olla hiljempaa? - Excuse me, but could you be more quiet, please?
- Minä yritän nukkua. - I'm trying to sleep.
- Kuinka sun synnytys meni? - How was your labour?
- Voisitko auttaa minua? - Could you help me?
- Anteeksi, tuli vähän sotkua. - Sorry, we made a little mess. (A little mess came.)
- Saisinko jotain särkylääkettä? - Could I have some pain medicine, please?
- Voisitko olla vauvan kanssa sillä aikaa, kun käyn suihkussa? - Could you be with the baby while I take a shower?
- Onko kaikki kunnossa? - Is everything ok?
- Saadaanko me mennä kotiin tänään? - Can we go home today?
Some useful verbs:
Here's what inside of äitiyspakkaus, the maternity package. Check out the names of the baby clothes and notice that some of them can be a bit confusing, especially the pants department:
sukkahousut - tights with the sock part (sock trousers)
leggingsit - tights without the sock part
potkuhousut - basically a piece of clothing that has everything but the sleeves. Used with a onesie or a shirt, has snaps or buttons on the shoulders. (kick trousers)
puolipotkuhousut - tights with the sock part, but looser than sukkahousut. (half kick trousers)
pöksyt - a cute word, means any kind of pants. Origins form the Swedish byxor.
If this was useful, you might also like my post Being pregnant in Finnish.
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.
- synnyttää - to give birth
- syntyä - to be born
- imettää - to nurse
- röyhtäyttää - to make someone burp
- röyhtäistä - to burp
- kuolata - to drool
- puklata - to vomit the milk you just had
- pissata - to pee
- kakata - to poo
- riisua - to undress
- pestä peppu - to wash the butt
- vaihtaa vaippa - to change the diaper
- kylvettää - to give a bath
- pukea - to dress up
- kapaloida - to swaddle
- haukotella - to yawn
- aivastaa - to sneeze
- itkeä - to cry
- nukahtaa - to fall asleep
- nukkua - to sleep
Here's what inside of äitiyspakkaus, the maternity package. Check out the names of the baby clothes and notice that some of them can be a bit confusing, especially the pants department:
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, June 1, 2013
How to use the Finnish pronoun 'se'
Se means it or that. In spoken language, se is often used instead of hän when talking about he or she. Sometimes se can be translated as the fact. Notice how se becomes si or sii in most of the cases.
Yes, there's even more! There are SIX place adverbs derived from the word SE:
It or that
- se: Mikä se oli? - What was that?
- sen: Mä tiesin sen. - I knew it.
- sitä: Mä en muista sitä. - I don't remember it.
- siinä: Mitä siinä kirjeessä oli? - What was in that letter?
- siitä: Älä välitä siitä. - Don't care about it.
- siihen: Miksi sä menit siihen kokoukseen? - Why did you go to that meeting?
- sillä: Mitä sinä teet sillä? - What do you do with it?
- siltä: Siltä näyttää. - Looks like it. That's what it looks like.
- sille: Älä istu sille tuolille! - Don't sit on that chair.
- sinä: Mä olin sinä maanantaina koko päivän kotona. - On that Monday, I spent the whole day at home.
- siksi: Mä luulin sitä siksi Tiinan kirjaksi. - I thought that it was the book that belongs to Tiina.
He or she
- se: Kuka se oli? - Who was that?
- sen: Mä seurustelin sen kanssa lukiossa. - I used to date him/her in high school.
- sitä: Mä vihaan sitä! - I hate him/her!
- siinä: Mitä siinä on parasta? - What's best about him/her?
- siitä: Älä puhu siitä. - Don't talk about him/her.
- siihen: Mä en luota siihen. - I don't trust him/her.
- sillä: Mitä asiaa sillä oli? - What was his/her business? What did s/he want?
- siltä: Mä sain siltä tosi oudon tekstiviestin. - I got a really strange text message from him/her.
- sille: Mä soitin sille eilen. - I called him/her yesterday.
The fact, or nothing
- Mitä ajattelet siitä, että kaupat ovat sunnuntaisin auki? - What do you think about the fact that the shops are open on Sundays?
- Se riippuu siitä, mitä kello on. - It depends on what time it is.
- Soitin hänelle sen jälkeen kun olin kuullut asiasta. - I called her after I had heard about the matter.
The place adverbs
siellä, sieltä, sinne - A larger area that you cannot see or that is close to the recipient.
- Mitä te teette siellä? - What are you doing over there?
- Tulkaa pois sieltä! - Get out of there!
- Menettekö te sinne autolla vai junalla? - Are you going (to) there by car or by bus?
- More examples with these words: https://randomfinnishlesson.blogspot.com/2014/02/siella-sielta-sinne.html
siinä, siitä, siihen - A small area that you cannot see or that is close to the recipient.
- Siinä sinä olet! - There you are!
- Ota siitä kahvia. - Take some coffee from there.
- Kirjoita siihen sun nimi. - Write your name (to) there.
Notice that these three words are also used as pronouns:
- siinä: Mitä siinä kirjeessä oli? - What was in that letter?
- siitä: Älä välitä siitä (asiasta). - Don't care about it (the thing).
- siihen: Miksi sä menit siihen kokoukseen? - Why did you go to that meeting?
If you found this post helpful, you might also like my posts about tämä and tuo. I also have a Memrise course about se.
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.
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