Monday, November 23, 2015

sitten - jälkeen - myöhemmin

Here's a small post about sitten, jälkeen and myöhemmin. I hope that this is helpful, not confusing.

Sitten is then, among other things.

  • Sitten on mun vuoro. - Then it's my turn.
  • Sitten lähdetään ulos! - Then let's go out!

Jälkeen is after something. Notice the word order and the genitive.

  • Soitan sinulle viiden jälkeen. - I'll call you after five. 
  • Kuka oli mun jälkeen? - Who was after me?
  • Mitä sä teet sen jälkeen? - What will you do after that?

Myöhemmin is later compared to something else.

  • Soitan sinulle myöhemmin. - I'll call you later. 
  • Aloitetaan huomenna puoli tuntia myöhemmin kuin normaalisti. - Let's start tomorrow half an hour later than normally. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Spoken language words that my kids use

Here are some spoken language words that my 3- and 6-year-old children use. Do you know what they mean?

  1. futis
  2. hyvis
  3. jäbä
  4. koklata
  5. lippis
  6. mäsä
  7. pahis
  8. papru
  9. peba
  10. polttis
  11. säbä
  12. sykky
  13. teeppari
  14. vaklata

Here are the translations and the origins of the spoken language words:

  1. futis < football - football
  2. hyvis < hyvä - a good character
  3. jäbä < jätkä - a dude
  4. koklata < kokeilla - to try
  5. lippis < lippalakki - a cap
  6. mäsä < (I have no idea what's the origin is!) - broken
  7. pahis < paha - a bad guy
  8. papru < paperi - a paper
  9. peba < peppu - a butt
  10. polttis < polttopallo - dodge ball
  11. säbä < sähly - floor ball
  12. sykky < syli - a lap
  13. teeppari < t-paita - a t-shirt
  14. vaklata < vakoilla - to spy

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Arranging a playdate in Finnish

Here's what to say or text when you want to arrange a playdate with the parent of your child's friend.

  • Haluaisiko Mikko tulla joskus meille leikkimään? - Would Mikko like to come over to play sometime?
  • Meille sopii mikä päivä tahansa paitsi maanantai. - Any day but Monday is good for us.
  • Esimerkiksi ensi viikon tiistaina viideltä olisi kiva. - For example next week's Tuesday at five  would be nice. 
  • Meidän osoite on Koulukatu 20. - Our address is Koulukatu 20.
  • Terveisin Leena, Mikon äiti / isä. - Regards, Mikko's mom/dad
  • p.s. Onko Mikolla mitään allergioita? - p.s. Does Mikko have any allergies?

Monday, November 9, 2015

What's the meaning of 'kappale'?

Just like laatikko, kappale is a word with many meanings. You can check it out from Kielitoimiston sanakirja, but I'd say that these are the most common meanings:


A piece of music



A part of a text


  • Missä kappaleessa me ollaan? - In which paragraph are we?
  • Voitko lukea ensimmäisen kappaleen? - Can you read the first paragraph, please?
  • A chapter is usually kappale in a school text book, and luku in a novel.


An object,  a copy of something


  • Tämä on ylimääräinen kappale. - This is an extra piece.
  • Kuinka monta kappaletta sinä tarvitset? - How many do you need?




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, November 6, 2015

Selkosanomat - a magazine in easy Finnish

Here's a small post to promote Selkosanomat. I've always been a big fan of Selkouutiset, but somehow I had forgotten that Selkosanomat also exists. A new issue is released every two weeks, and in addition to reading easy Finnish, you can also listen to the articles.

  • Etusivu - Front page
  • Kotimaa - Domestic news
  • Ulkomaat - Foreign news
  • Viihde - Entertainment
  • Teema - Theme
  • Sarjakuva - Comics
  • Tehtävät  - Exercises 
  • Uutisarkisto - News archives

p.s. If you're taking the Yki exam in the near future, I'd advice you to relax and boost your confidence by listening to easy Finnish from Selkosanomat.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Figuring out Finnish men

A foreign female friend asked me to write about Finnish men. Being married to an American, I'm clearly not an expert on this topic, but yes, I know what she's talking about. The problem seems to be that it is hard to figure out whether certain Finnish men just want to hang out as friends, or be your serious partner in life. I'd say that it is all about avoiding conflicts, so Finnish men (unless they are the clingy type) don't usually bring up the topic themselves. In general, Finnish men are quite low maintenance, but it also means that you cannot expect great romantic gestures from them, either.

Anyway, to freak out your potential Finnish boyfriend, you could see what happens if you ask these questions:


Oh, here's a related post about dating Finns. Feel free to share your valuable experiences!


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.