In this post, I’ll share why I started learning Finnish, common pitfalls, and my personal success tips.
Finnish learning takes sisu! Our first Finnish word: sisu. It means “perseverance, strength, or determination” – qualities you definitely need for learning Finnish! Even J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of The Lord of the Rings, was fascinated by this language.
In this post, I’ll share why I started learning Finnish, common pitfalls, and my personal success tips. I won’t go through all the grammar (it’s a bit much!), but I’ll cover some basics. The tips will help you learn Finnish more effectively.
My Journey Learning Finnish #
It’s been a long journey, and I’m still not where I want to be – life got in the way! If you’re just after the top tips, jump to the last section using the button.
Jump to Tips & TricksMy Goals When I Started Learning: #
- Understand Finns when they speak
- Read simple texts without constantly looking up words
- Communicate with basic knowledge
Where I’m at Now: #
- Understanding spoken Finnish is hit-and-miss; subtitles (Finnish or English) in TV shows are lifesavers.
- When chatting, I need people to speak slowly.
- It’s all about practice, like learning any language – even German!
Why You Should Learn Finnish! #
Language opens doors! There are loads of reasons to learn Finnish. In my current course, some have Finnish partners and kids who learn from their Finnish grandparents – you’d want to understand them, right? Or maybe you holiday in Finland regularly; speaking a bit of Finnish opens up more chats with locals. Plus, reading signs, menus, and handling basic stuff gets way easier.
Personally, I watch Finnish shows, listen to Finnish music, holiday there often, and follow Finnish friends on social media – loads of reasons to learn!
Finland and Its International Side #
Finns often switch to English, no matter their age – their English is top-notch. So technically, you don’t have to learn Finnish. But there are times when speaking fluent Finnish is a real plus. Once, on a train from Jyväskylä to Rovaniemi, I couldn’t get help in German or English!
If you’re planning to move to Finland, learning Finnish is essential. Even though work can often be done in English, Finns still mostly speak their native tongue. A German friend of mine living there now learns Finnish to fit in better.
Facts About the Finnish Language #
The Origins of Finnish #
Finnish is part of the Finno-Ugric language family. While most European languages are from the Indo-European family, only a few languages belong to the Finno-Ugric family, including Finnish, Estonian, Sami, and Hungarian, along with some languages spoken in European Russia and northern Siberia. (Source: Wikipedia)
Population #
Currently, around 5.5 million Finns speak Finnish as their native language. Although Finland isn’t part of Scandinavia and has no direct ties to Sweden, Denmark, or Norway, there is one connection – Swedish is the second official language in Finland because about 6% of Finns are Swedish-speaking. In some areas, like around Vaasa, quite a lot of people speak Swedish.
Is Finnish Hard to Learn? #
Let’s be honest – Finnish is as learnable! The tricky part is that Finnish doesn’t share the same structure as other European languages. I’m also learning Norwegian, which has loads of similarities to German and English, but Finnish? Not so much, except for a few international words like “posti,” or “bussi.”
Don’t Let the 15 Cases Scare You Off! #
In many languages, there are only a handful of grammatical cases, but when learning Finnish, you’ll encounter a total of 15 cases! Don’t worry, though – you’ll regularly only use about 12 of them. It might seem overwhelming, but with practice, it becomes much more manageable.
Quirks That Make Learning Finnish Easier #
Some things actually make Finnish easier to learn:
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Gender Neutrality: No need to worry about. There’s just one word for “he” and “she” – hän. Learn more here.
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Pronunciation Matches the Spelling: Finnish words are pronounced almost exactly as written, around 98% of the time. There are a few quirks, but overall, it’s straightforward – like “hyppytyynytyydytys” (jumping on a soft pillow) reads just as it looks!This is a benefit for many, but not English.
But then there’s the partitive #
Something considered a Finnish peculiarity is the partitive.
There are many situations and rules where the partitive occurs; sometimes you remember it, sometimes you forget it, and sometimes you overdo it.
The partitive is used when there’s an indefinite quantity. It also needs to be applied with numbers and in negation.
Let’s not forget it when giving well wishes.
In short:
When the partitive needs to be used, something about the word always changes.
Partitive example:
Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta
(Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year)
However, you won’t find it like this in the dictionary.
There, the words are listed in their base forms:
1.Hyvä 2.joulu 3.ja 4.onnellinen 5.uusi 6.vuosi.
This shows what you need to consider for a simple well wish.
As the partitive is quite special, here are a few more examples:
When a word ends with a vowel and one of the above-mentioned rules applies (well wishes, indefinite quantity, etc.), you must use -a / -ä.
| Nominative | Partitive | English |
|---|---|---|
| kirja | kirjaa | Book |
| auto | autoa | Car |
When a word ends with two vowels, you must use -ta / -tä.
| Nominative | Partitive | English |
|---|---|---|
| puu | puuta | Tree |
| työ | työtä | Work |
Negation also requires the partitive.
| Finnish | Partitive | English |
|---|---|---|
| uusi suihku | uutta suihkua | new shower |
| valkoinen | ei ole valkoista | not white … |
Minulla ei ole uutta suihkua – I don’t have a new shower.
valkoinen (white) - ei ole valkoista – not white …
And many more examples could follow.
Simply put, you can remember that the partitive is used in negation and in the plural. Or when what you’re expressing is part of the entire remaining world reserve.
That’s why the Finnair crew asks, “Kahvia vai teetä?” / Coffee or tea?
And no, it’s not “Kahvi vai tee?”
It’s part of the entire remaining world reserve that you are offered on the plane.
So please use the partitive.
You’ll often find it on menus (Kahvia / Coffee); I always assume that means pay once for as much coffee as you want. 😉
What you might have noticed is that in the partitive, some words suddenly seem to become entirely different words.
For example, uusi (new) becomes uutta.
At least the uu remains.
From here on, things could get complicated, so let’s stick to some useful points.
Tips & Tricks: How to Reach Your Goal #
A lot has been written, and you’re probably thinking, “Get to the point!”
Books #
There are definitely one or two textbooks that I can recommend. If you’re in a course, it depends on the teacher which materials are used.
Most of the time, it comes down to “Yksi, kaksi, kolme” (for Germans) or “Suomen mestari.”
Yksi kaksi kolme #
Yksi, kaksi, kolme – ISBN: 978-3-944312-12-5
Suomen mestari #
Suomen mestari – You can find it here.
I don’t know the latter personally, but since it’s in Finnish and you’re getting the full experience, you’ll need to engage more deeply with the language.
I’ve only heard good things about the book from other learners.
Alternative Books That Are Great for Grammar:
A Grammar Book of Finnish #
“A Grammar Book of Finnish – Leila White” (not readily available in many countries)
Grammatik der finnischen Sprache #
Learn Finnish without studying #
A comprehensive overview of all the important words and some background knowledge about the country and its people can be found in “Learn Finnish without studying” by Sami Nyyssölä.
The book is really great; while you can’t learn vocabulary in a targeted way, it’s enjoyable to read repeatedly. It’s filled with examples that present the language, vocabulary, and Finnish peculiarities in an exaggerated manner, making sure some of it sticks.
You can order it directly from Finland, and here’s the link.
MUUMIEN ISO KUVASANAKIRJA #
A book that illustratively showcases words and sentences through the characters from Tove Jansson’s stories.
It’s truly great for passive learning. You can also explore it with children, as there’s plenty to discover, and you’ll pick up vocabulary along the way.
Unfortunately, you can only buy it in Finland. You’ll find it in every Moomin shop in Helsinki, as well as in souvenir shops and kiosks during your next holiday.
Muumien iso kuvasanakirja – ISBN: 978-951-0-43933-3
Apps #
Although I belong to the digital natives and grew up with all this tech stuff, I haven’t yet found a really good app for language learning or one that I could fully adapt to. Therefore, I won’t go into too much detail. However, feel free to familiarise yourself with the following apps and programmes; colleagues from my Finnish course use them, and some are truly convinced by them.
Duolingo
Duolingo, which is still quite new, introduces languages in a playful way.
It’s the latest hit for Finnish.
Unfortunately, it still has some errors.
WordDive
WordDive, developed by a Finn, is worth recommending.
However, it has been significantly limited, with statistics and functions reduced, and I’m not really satisfied with the app anymore.
Flashcards Deluxe (Android & iOS)
Learning words with flashcards is an effective and quick method to expand your vocabulary.
And having your flashcards always on hand makes it even more practical.
The app Flashcards Deluxe offers this opportunity.
The great thing is that you can assign multiple cards to a word. I create individual stacks using a Google Sheet, associating the nominative, genitive, and partitive forms with a word.
This way, I not only learn the base word, but I can also learn the genitive and partitive forms simultaneously.
Unfortunately, maintaining the lists and card decks is very time-consuming.
Information about the app:
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Android: Google Play Store
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iOS: Apple App Store
Drops #
I can definitely recommend another app for learning vocabulary.
If you want to build your passive vocabulary, learn many words while commuting to work or school, or simply pick up some vocabulary in between, you can try Drops.
The app offers different modes and methods for learning words.
Just a daily dose of these Drops, and you’ll build vocabulary from a wide range of areas.
Organised by categories like food & drink, colours, and people & places, you’ll need to correctly spell words and match them using drag-and-drop.
All the words you’ve learned will be periodically “dropped” back into the categories, ensuring you also get repetition of previously learned words.
Online #
The internet is rich in knowledge.
There are plenty of opportunities to learn the language online. From language courses and videos to forums, a wide variety of options are available. Here are my recommendations:
Reddit #
Reddit is vast and, compared to Facebook, a social media platform that can be used freely. You can browse even without an account. Anyone can read along. There’s a group dedicated to learning Finnish where you can ask your questions, and they are usually answered relatively quickly and simply. I recommend every learner to read along or post their questions in the subreddit. Here’s the access and the link to the group. The group also has a Discord channel. You can chat with like-minded individuals, and there’s even free Finnish lessons every Sunday
Be sure to check it out!
YouTube #
There are countless channels on YouTube. I don’t follow any myself, but I do enjoy getting lost in random content from time to time. From pronunciation to vlogs, you’ll definitely find something. However, I can recommend this particular video that covers the pronunciation of the Finnish ä.
Selkouutiset #
Finnish news that is easy to understand and follow.
Spoken slowly, with subtitles, and presented in small chunks. You can find the daily happenings in Finland and around the world online on the Yle broadcaster’s website in simple Finnish.
I recommend every learner to take the ten minutes needed for this daily practice. If you want to improve your listening comprehension in Finnish, this is a great way to do so. So, just visit HERE and click on the first video! If you’ve been learning Finnish for a while, you’ll likely understand some of the content or contributions.
Grammar – Online #
Websites: #
1. Uusi kielemme – Finnish for Busy People -
https://uusikielemme.fi
2. KIELI –
https://www.kieli.net
Both are extremely helpful sites for vocabulary and grammar, or if you don’t know the correct form of a word. I personally use kieli.net almost daily.
The best tip overall for learning Finnish #
Practice actively!
Join a course or, at the very least, take a crash course to get a first impression, preferably an intensive one.
Yes, it’s just like that.
The advantage is that all participants share the same goal, you can converse, and the fear of speaking is lessened since everyone is at the same level. Plus, in a course, you always receive feedback both verbally and in writing!
I believe you can’t skip a course. Self-study is challenging, and you don’t get a “thumbs up or down” as feedback.
So, the rule is – attend a course and dare to speak!
Whether it’s on holiday or perhaps with a tandem partner.
You have to engage in conversation.
Anecdote from the Holiday
I went to Helsinki with colleagues from my current course. We decided that each of us would have a daily task to complete.
- Ask someone in Finnish about X or Y…
- Try to obtain the following information in the local language…
- All orders in restaurants must be made in Finnish.
This was incredibly beneficial (and a lot of fun, too – the Finns looked at us in surprise, laughed, and even clapped at times). We realised just how much we could already say, received responses in Finnish, and understood them as well.
In conclusion, I’d like to say:
I hope this post was helpful to you and that it has sparked your curiosity.
Maybe you’ll start learning right away.
I’d be delighted if you reach out on YouTube, leave a comment, and share your thoughts and experiences with me.
Happy learning!
About the author:
Thank you for reading! This content is based on a revised blog post from DFG-Nürnberg, for which I have received permission to present these tips for learning Finnish. I hope you found them helpful!