Basic Finnish for Tourists - Learn Finnish

If you are heading to Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, or anywhere else in Finland you don't really need to worry about speaking Finnish as the Finns speak multiple languages and are great at English. However, to be a nice tourist it is nice to use and learn some of the local language, so here we go through some basic Finnish language for tourists.
Finnish language class
Learn Finnish
Filmed in Helskink, Finland
Copyright Mark Wolters 2022
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[@jussim.konttinen4981]

Hay-nah-koo (heinäkuu) literally means hay moon, which you know as July, in honor of Julius Caesar. Ehlow-koo (elokuu) means harvest moon.

[@aidenpearce4409]

As one with Finnish roots, I always had the biggest motivation to learn the language my great grandparents spoke. Olen kotoisin Seattlesta, Washingtonin osavaltiosta ja olen oppinut suomen kieltä Washingtonin yliopistossa 5 vuotta. Kieli on vaikea mutta ei mahdoton. I hope I got it correctly. I'm from Seattle, Washington state and I've learned FInnish for 5 years in the university of Washington. The language is difficult but not impossible.

[@uniqueflowsnake]

One minor correction if you'll allow it. Oppinut is learned yes, but studied would be more fitting here, which is opiskellut. Otherwise A+! :)

[@ProfessorOfCool]

For me as a Helsinki local, the whole thing with learning just a few words, even just "anteeksi", "kiitos" and "moi (moi)" is just about respect. That's the whole thing. We're from a small place with a weird language and I get it, and we do speak English well. But you're in our backyard, please show a little respect. Please show us that you did your homework before coming here. Don't get me wrong, even if you come up to me speaking only English, I'll help you with whatever you need. But if you come up to me with "anteeksi" or even "anteeksi, puhut(te)ko englantia" then I will move mountains to help you.

[@Dragonsphinx]

Wow, you speak really well! 😊 It’s definitely sweet, in my opinion, when someone tries to use a few Finnish words since it is a very tough language. And yeah, especially in city areas a lot of people speak English well or perfectly. Just want to make one little correction: “yö” actually means “night” (like the opposite of day-rhymes with the English “fewer”). To say “yeah” you’d say “juu” (pronounced much like the English “yew”).

[@WoltersWorldShorts]

Thanks for the spelling. I couldn't find the correct spelling. Kiitos

[@adventuresblissconnection4198]

What a fantastic, helpful and succinct video. Thanks!

[@woltersworld]

Thank you

[@ellissastewart7141]

Kiitos for this video! Really helpful 👌 I haven't heard moi before so it'll definitely help for my trip next month! Duolingo has taught me "terve" only, for hello. Kippis! 🍻 🇫🇮

[@ComradeCommissar17]

This is the second time that I am planning a trip and Wolter posts a video about that location. And as always helpful tips.

[@woltersworld]

I try to help :)

[@claudiocosta7259]

Very cool vídeo. I always try to speak in the language of the country I visit. At least a few words.... And as Suomi is in my bucket list I thank you for this express course 😉

[@WoltersWorldShorts]

Glad to help

[@eleanorsardenberg9277]

You may do the same in anothers countries. It’s amazing !❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thanks a lot!

[@anias99]

I noticed same inhaling response from danish folks from Jutland. They said 'ja' (simple 'yes') while inhaling. It was strange at first, now I find it adorable.

[@signekroner4588]

Not only from Jylland, I do the same and Im from the Capital area.

[@Jaa_morant]

Wow I can’t believe you are in Helsinki! Gives me a huge flashback to summer of 2019 when I first discovered you and was watching your content about Finland! Your tips helped me a lot and I found prove to lots of your points during my trip! Hopefully I will visit Helsinki sometime soon, dreaming of riding a bike and chilling in a pool near the sea!

[@WoltersWorldShorts]

Glad I could help

[@jpc3603]

Wonderful video, thanks ☺ I believe it's just common courtesy to atleast try and learn a few basics when travelling. Plus it pays dividends as you feel great each time you use your phrases and locals tend to respond with joy! My only issue has been in the Netherlands as they hear I'm not local and immediately switch languages, I'm like "please let me practice my Dutch!" 😆

[@Fan652w]

Thank you Mark. One useful point I found on my visit to Finland 20 years ago. The German and Finish languages are totally unrelated. But if you read Finish words (especially place names) according to German rules of pronunciation you usually get the right result. This was very useful to me, as I traveled extensively by train and bus.

[@woltersworld]

it is all phonetic so if you can read it you pretty much can say it right.

[@tobiojo9454]

Interesting and intriguing video

[@woltersworld]

thanks T.O

[@BillGreenAZ]

Learning a new language is part of the fun of traveling to a new place. The one phrase that one should learn when traveling to another country, in my opinion, is "thank you". When you travel to another country you are at the mercy of people serving you and that phrase should be used a lot.

[@georgeaugustogarciabehaker8660]

Kiitos!

[@woltersworld]

ole hyvaa

[@AnthonyJosh]

Can you make a basic video for Sweden 🇸🇪 I’m currently in Stockholm heading to Falun.

[@Lemmi99]

I've worked in Finland a few times, starting in 1998 in Turku. I still have friends there. I introduced my wife to Finland and we've been back nearly every year since 2001. We usually go to Helsinki, only stopped by the recent pandemic. Often I'm mistaken for a Finn, I can understand a little but I don't know enough to hold a conversation but enough to get by. Just as an aside Mark, is the Kappeli Ravintola open now?

[@paulcunningham2859]

Cool

[@christians2022]

I was wondering why Joo was censored but i saw that you mixed it up with the old finnish band called Yö

[@jking8bp457]

I'm part Finnish from my mom's side she tried teaching me Finnish but i never wanted to learn. Now being 28yrs old and closer to my mom i really want to learn to speak it and also my heritage. Would love to make a few friends who speak it.

[@Tramptraveller]

😍😍😍😍😍

[@DNA350ppm]

Great! To learn about the Finnish alphabet and how rational it is - take a look at this example: clair de lune (moon light) if you know how it sounds in French, then you also know three vocals in Finnish: ä, ö, and y. If written in Finnish, it would look like this: kläär dö lyynn. Yy is a difficult sound for many Americans. One has to hold the lips tight forwardly to a little peck of a kiss on a puppy's head. The lips form a little round hole for the air to pass, not bigger that that you could take a sip through a straw. In a way it'd be correct to say that English-speakers need to learn a new alphabet to learn to pronouce Finnish. If you ask for directions and pronounce Finnish place names with the help of American usage, then Finns will not always understand you. Here a few American destinations written according to Finnish logic: New York - Njuu Joork Manhattan - Mänhättön Idaho - Aidähöu Greenland - Griinländ This is how a few Finnish places approximately sound in American English: Ivalo - Evulaw (u as in "cut") Pyynikki - Püüneque'e (ü as in French "lune" above or as in German Düsseldorf) Säkkijärvi - Sakkejarve (a as a in "bad") Tampere - Tumpere (ump as in "lump", the e's as in bet, get, bed, sex) Seinäjoki - Seynayawke (a as a in "bad") No letter is ever silent in proper Finnish, and in every word the stress is on the first syllable (or the first vowel, and y is a vowel, too). Every letter is always pronounced in the same way, so if you can read it in Finnish, you can say it. (Rimembör: iff juu känn riid it, juu känn sei it.) It helps a lot if you know Spanish, Italian, or German, but their alphabets are not exactly as Finnish.

[@WaynoGur]

You forgot the most important phrase: Vielä yksi olut kiitos.

[@woltersworld]

Kaksi would be a better word in that situation :)

[@Pressplay_Media_EU]

So with the breathing in and breathing out, does that mean that when people talk they sound like a hacksaw cutting wood?? I live in Nova Scotia so I already deal with this deep scraping / sandpaper-wheezing sound every day😆

[@damarh]

Kuusi palaa. Is all you need to know :)

[@Eric-fx9xf]

✌👍

[@HALO-2304]

What, no "Perkele!"? 😅

[@woltersworld]

you can't just say the P word... you need the V word and the S word as well

[@PlaasyTV]

@@woltersworld He knows the way! Have to say, very solid and reliable video. Watched all your videos related to Finland (out of curiosity) and found them all very informative and nicely put together! Paljon kiitoksia ja tervetuloa! :) -Random Finn

[@HALO-2304]

@@woltersworld Sadly, the only Finnish words I know are Suomi and Perkele! I'd certainly be thrilled to add the V word and the S word to my, albeit small, lexicon of Finnish words. 😁

[@woltersworld]

@@PlaasyTV Kittos

[@ranchan6650]

Say that beer is your favorite drink and show a picture of long drink.

[@timmmahhhh]

Kiitos Mark, I remember a few of these from my 1989 trip. I pronounced excuse me as ahn-teeYEX-ee versus your ahn-TAKE-see. Perhaps my selective memory has misremembered it?

[@Helsinkipop]

Mark got it better. But your pronunciation is close enough. No need falling into perfectionism.

[@timmmahhhh]

@@Helsinkipop okay thanks.

[@JPMJPM]

My favorite Finnish comedian, Ismo: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGbEdXVtjMyHm9E

[@martysender5539]

LOL MY WIFE IS FINNISH. I LIVE IN D.C. very amusing. from MARTY SENDER YOU TUBE.......free music

[@vaultkeeper2]

If you are visiting Åland or certain parts of southern and western Finland, you might consider using some Swedish as that is the language they speak there natively! In the case of Åland, they speak Swedish (and English) only.

[@spacejunk76]

Why was "YO" blurred out???

[@jussim.konttinen4981]

If you put dots on top of o, it's a bit like ew-oe. Yö is generally regarded as the period of day normally devoted for sleeping. Not to be confused with "Yo Paulie! How's it going?". Finnish joo or juu comes from Swedish jå.

[@woltersworld]

Spelling error

[@willfungusman8666]

I won't be able to Finnish this

[@woltersworld]

:)

[@hamishmackinnon2231]

While I believe that you should speak, to some degree, the language of the country that you' re visiting- I speak Dutch, at nearly A2 level, and I hope to start learning German soon- I have to draw the line at learning Finnish. So if the Finns are really offended by some one coming to their country, who doesn't speak Finnish, then I'll never visit Finland. And there are three points about speaking a foreign language, that I'd like to draw your attention to- 1. There is a limit to the number of foreign languages you can learn, I'm pretty much at my limit with Dutch and German 2. Learning to speak just one foreign language is very demanding 3.When you go on holiday, you're supposed to be relaxing, not desperately trying to remember basic vocabulary in a completely unfamiliar language In short, it doesn't mean that you're rude and ignorant, if you don't know a single word of the language, of the country you're visiting.

[@willileo2373]

Weird language!

[@woltersworld]

just wait until you realize there are no prepositions... it is all endings :)

[@thinkingmammal8517]

Suomi

[@woltersworld]

heck yeah!