Thursday, September 21, 2023

Finnish verbs that are very easy to understand (and some that are not)

Some verbs in verb type 4 are quite easy to understand, if you speak English or other Germanic language. Here's a small post about that topic, just for the fun of it. 


Easy verb type 4 verbs:

  • joogata - to do yoga
  • surffata - to surf
  • grillata  - to barbeque
  • meikata - to put on make up
  • pumpata - to pump
  • chillata - to chill 
  • printata - to print 

However, these ones are not what you'd think they might be: 

  • humpata
  • jumpata
  • ruinata 

Here are the explanations: 


  • Humpata is not to hump but to dance a dance called humppa. (To hump is nylkyttää. It's a dog thing.)

  • Jumpata is not to jump but to do any kind of aerobics or gymnastics type of sport. (To jump is hypätä or hyppiä.)

  • Ruinata is not to ruin but to whine in order to get something that you really want. (To ruin is pilata. However, this verb can also mean to ruin as Älä ruinaa mun vaibseja! is a sentence that I hear every now and then from my eleven-year-old.)




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.

3 comments:

Dark Miryam said...

I'm learning finnish on my own and I find your blog so helpful!
Just a question: as long as the verb chillata comes from english "To chill", how do I have to pronounce it? Like the english "ch" or like the "k" in kaakao?
Thanks a lot in advance!

Random Finnish Lesson / Hanna Männikkölahti said...

Kiva kuulla! Nice to hear! :) It's with the English 'ch'. It could chance later and become tsillaa. :)

Dark Miryam said...

Kiitos!