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. 

8 comments:

Tommy Quist said...

Yeah, I used to mix these up a lot when I started.

Nick O. said...

I jus wanna "lyödä" one of those off the finnish language to make my life easier :D

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it's horrible when spelling actually matters.

jose peirano said...

Hi! I can´t find in any online translator wich is the correct verb used in Finnish for hitting something with the head... In english would be to give a "headbutt" I guess, like in soccer for example, when you HIT the ball with your head. Would it be "puskea"? :-) Thanks for your time!

Random Finnish Lesson / Hanna Männikkölahti said...

Joo, "puskea" on oikea sana. Puskea palloa.
Jossain muussa kontekstissa, esimerkiksi tappelussa, voi olla myös "iskeä päällä" http://www.sanakirja.org/search.php?id=816537&l2=3

jose peirano said...

Kiitos paljon! halauksia Argentiinasta!

Unknown said...

can explain different between LÖYTÄÄ - LÖYTYÄ verbi

Random Finnish Lesson / Hanna Männikkölahti said...

Yes! Löytyä is intransitive, to be found. Avain löytyi maton alta. The key was found from under the rug. http://randomfinnishlesson.blogspot.com/2012/10/transitive-and-intransitive-verbs.html