The Finnish language - 15 Finnish Words That CAN'T BE TRANSLATED

The Finnish language has lots of unique words and today I will teach you 15 Finnish Words that are difficult or even impossible to translate to English. Untranslatable in this video refers to a word that cannot be translated to a single word in English.
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[@tobbele1010]

Vahingonilo=Schadenfreude (Saksa)

[@NWEuroLangs]

Schadenfreude is the word used in English .

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks Tobias I found out this when researching for the video and found out you have it as well but didn't mention it in the video. It seems the word has been adopted to English as well.

[@kispangit3912]

In Hungarian, the word is "káröröm", and we have the same saying "Legszebb öröm a káröröm" - the best joy is the joy over the misery of others :))) Great stuff!

[@Artehenis]

Tobias Leinonen Schadenfreude is also an English word, now.

[@LenaMellow]

Yup. That was the word that immediately popped into my mind

[@saekka8537]

I think the English translation of 'myötähäpeä' is 'second-hand embarrassment'.

[@AleksiHimself]

Haha that's a good one Saekka! 👍

[@drops2cents260]

Seems to be that the German term "fremdschämen" also fits. (I don't remember if there's a similar term in English, I assume an appropriate English translation could be "ashamed by proxy" because German "frendschämen" means to be embarrassed by something someone else did and you being ashamed because you belong to the same nation, social group or whatever as the bloke who fucked up).

[@keko4618]

Paukkupakkanen really means. When its really cold, mostly first freeze, its is possibly to hear loud snaps from the trees/forests. Water freezes inside trees and make small ore bigger wounds.

[@Slindi81]

I believe the origin of "paukkupakkanen" is when the froze water in lakes makes "railo" (Aleksi you can explain this :D), it makes also a loud noise. Also when the water in trees in the forrest freezes, it expands and can break the wood and make a sound.

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks Slindi! That's another possible explanation!

[@mikitz]

You also left out tulipalopakkanen and hankiainen. Besides, 'löyly' actually means 'spirit (of the stove)'...

[@SK-nw4ig]

@@mikitz Thank you for mentioning that about löyly, I was going to say it too. Löyly is also name for one of the three souls of a human in pre-christian tradition in Finland. I think "hankiainen" is same as "hankikantonen", yes?

[@SatuGustafson]

Three of those exist in German, too. We have "Eselsbrücke" (donkey's bridge) as an easy way of remembering difficult stuff like the four points of the compass with the sentence "Nie ohne Seife waschen" (never wash without soap) (Nord/North, Osten/East, Süden/South and Westen/West). We have Schadenfreude, which is also laughing about somebody suffering and we have "Fremdschämen" which means that you feel embarrassed on behalf of somebody else. :) A pilunnussija would be a "Korinthenkacker" (currant shitter) or an "Erbsenzähler" (pea counter) in German. :)

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@SK-nw4ig]

Forest and ice on lakes makes those "paukku noises" too. I think it is older term than pipes. :)

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment Satu Kiiski!

[@clementbaron3270]

Meillä on ranskaks sama hauska ilmaisu kuin "pilkunnussija", joka on "enculeur de mouches" ja se ois suomeksi käännetty "kärpäsennussija" ! ^^

[@clementbaron3270]

Voi kiitti, mut valitettavasti oon täysin ranskalainen vaik olisin halunnut olla puoliks joku muu kansalaisuus !! Olen vain opiskellut suomea yliopistolla ;)

[@AleksiHimself]

Wau aika hauska! Kiitti että kerroit!

[@mikitz]

+Clement Baron Onko totta, että ranskalaiset aina nauraa, kun ulkolaiset yrittää puhua ranskaaja aina tulee paskaa niskaan? Näin on ainakin minulle aina käynyt, joten puhun ranskaa helvetin vahvalla suomen aksentilla nykyään...

[@citadelofwinds1564]

Aleksi, Thanks for including the term pilkunnussija aka comma fucker in this video. As an editor, I can now tell people that my correct job title is Comma Fucker. Or maybe Comma Nudger, since I often have to shift them from incorrect positions to their correct positions. I would understand them ending up in weird places if they were full stops, since those are round and could easily roll off in either direction. But commas have little hooks that should prevent them from slipping off and wandering elsewhere. The way I have to waste time herding lost commas back into place, sometimes I feel like I'm just a glorified Comma Shepherd. And given all the jokes about shepherds and their sheep, maybe this is how Finnish ended up with the term comma fucker. PS Thanks for doing these videos. Very educational and very enjoyable. PPS As a card-carrying Comma Fucker, I just had to go back and edit the damn comment.

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment Comma Fucker! :P

[@maksymfrantsuzov1338]

Excellent word compilation, I love and enjoy that unique Finnish Nordic charm in the way they sound. Rich and beautiful language. My extra upvote for naughty Finnish humor which I'm a fan of (pilkun nussija, raping commas is a very bad habit, ha-ha-ha). Vahingonilo seems to be "gloat" in English.

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks Maksym for the comment!

[@jimenamartinez4997]

This is my favourite video so far!!! There's a song of Apocalyptica called Kaamos

[@irisminerva8153]

Very informative! Kiitos!

[@Artehenis]

There is a word that means the same as the first word: Schadenfreude. It is an English word borrowed from German meaning "to take pleasure in another's misfortune". Make no mistake, this word is now English as well.

[@AleksiHimself]

Gut zu wissen!

[@rossac2]

This helped me the most best channel keep up the good work👍

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad to hear it!

[@dTristras]

Tarjeta means card in Spanish. Like in credit card-tarjeta de crédito

[@AleksiHimself]

Wow really! That's funny.

[@auroralin2956]

Aasinsilta = Eselsbrücke. 🇩🇪 "donkey's bridge" Literally the same, but just for the meaning to remember something better, often in a funny way. For example, to remember names and/or sequences: "M ein V ater E rklärt M ir J eden S onntag U nseren N achthimmel." (➡️My father explains the nightsky to me every sunday.) Planet's names in order: Merkur, Venus, Erde🌎, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptun 😊 We don't use it for the other meaning you first explained, like awkward transition...? Interesting.

[@AleksiHimself]

In German in the works the way you said. But in Finnish... 😂

[@auroralin2956]

Aleksi Himself - Videos about Finland No donkeys on Finnish bridges for remembering planets? 😜😅 Maybe invent some... Maybe not for planets but for grammar rules... 😁*challenge

[@kareem8533]

Aleksi, olet hyvä jäbä, Opin ton sanan näistä videoista, Itseasiassa olen ruotsalainen ja vituttaa ku kaikki puhuu parempaa suomea ku mä.

[@SEA-hp6zo]

kyllä sä iha hyvää suomea puhut:)

[@barbershop2536]

Vaikka oot toisinaan törkeä suustasi...

[@auroralin2956]

Pilkunnussija ➡️ Erbsenzähler.🇩🇪 = "pea counter". Oder auf hessisch/ or in Hessian dialect: Krimmelkaggä(Krümelkacker) = "crumb shitter"... 😄 Joo, on sisukas opiskella Saksaa. 😅

[@AleksiHimself]

Kannst du laut sagen!

[@mikitz]

Surprisingly many German words have entered the English language. They sometimes pop up. I regret having forgotten German...perkele. Not the loan words, however.

[@maryrhudy9250]

Dude - I have your next writing assignment. You need to write the International Travelers' Guide to Local Cuss Words. It would be even bigger than the HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.

[@somedude5010]

jaksa we use it in swedish as well it's called ''orka'' it means that you just do not give a fuck so you don't want to do anything but can also mean that you have no energy

[@PaiviProject]

Good job explaining those words. Thanks 👍💗🇫🇮

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment Paivi Project!

[@Mimix80]

Vahingonilo=epicaricacy, myötähäpeä=second-hand embarrassment, sisukas=persistent/perseverant/tenacious/relentless/steadfast, talkoot=volunteering/volunteer work/voluntary work/work party/yard work bee/yard work party/collective work/community work, pilkunnussija=nitpicker/hair-splitter/pedant/smartass/verbatim/petty, löyly=sauna bath, heittää löylyä is maybe=take sauna bath but this is quite difficult to translate, tosikko=humourless/staid/serious/stolid person, kaamos=polar night, 1. jaksaa=to feel up to, 2. jaksaa= to be (doing), 3. jaksaa=manage/handle/take, ehtiä/keretä=make it/find time, tarjeta=to stand cold/to be warm enough/(survive :) ), kalsarikännit=underware drinking party at home, aasinsilta=pons asinorum (this sounds funny), vitutus=annoyance/irriation/maybe the closest slang word is cuntsocks :) (found from online Urban Dictionary) but it might be used more as an interjection than as a noun.

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the translations!

[@mikitz]

+Mimix80 I suppose you're forgetting the point of having no lexical translation for the words. I noticed these as well. Vitutus is still one that is very hard to explain w/ a few words. For instance, 'vituttaakohan' is quite hard to explain with a few words...

[@citadelofwinds1564]

Mimix80, Thank you for an excellent demonstration of comma fucker. As an editor I can definitely use that term now to describe my work.

[@izzardclips9350]

I've read the English translation of the Täällä pohjantähden alla trilogy, and talkoot was translated as "work bee" or "working bee"... one of those, can't remember. So apparently it does have an English translation.

[@AleksiHimself]

Interesting! Didn't know this!

[@Agriking]

I'm going to start using comma fucker. I like that one.

[@MatthewBluefox]

The first word can easily be translated into German with "Schadenfreude ist die schönste Freude". :)

[@Mandlit]

Skadeglädje (swedish)

[@Rockyourassed]

Hyvää päivää! Mita kuuluu? I sent you a message on your face book official profil, i maybe forget, but i did a video talking in Finnish for you and other Finns to judge. Also bought Finnish litterature. Perkele, hyvä video!

[@AleksiHimself]

I will check your message when I have time!

[@Roducius]

Hi nice video, i have a question, there is a finnish word for autonomy for homework, is a especial word, with no direct translation, something about shame, pride for no need of help of others. I see it on a documentary of finland on the subject of depresion. Cheers!

[@AleksiHimself]

Autonomy for homework? Can't think of a word for that.

[@NutsS9]

you forgot "nurkka jussi" -often used for a camper is games

[@AleksiHimself]

Never heard of that one before!

[@drops2cents260]

Hmmm, about pilkunnussija: would that be the same like the German "Korinthenkacker", "Erbsenzähler" or the Allemannic "Tüpflischisser"? After all, pilkunnussija would translate literally to "comma fucker" in English which would have a similar meaning.

[@Foeniculum]

literaly the same saying in slovak: Vahingonilo paras ilo = Škodoradosť, najväčšia radosť. :)

[@AleksiHimself]

Interesting!

[@jamesrobinson2175]

Oft times I think I'd love to move to Finland Alexei

[@Pokephosgene]

Some of these words have translations in Croatian. =)

[@AleksiHimself]

Wow that's interesting! Such as?

[@Pokephosgene]

Vahingonilo is probably ˝zluradost˝, as it literally means ˝joy from/of evil˝, and is used to describe joy derived from someone's misery. Number 2 (I cannot put umlauts on y) also has a direct translation- we have created a word in recent years for it- ˝susramlje˝. It means ˝co-shame˝? Pilkunnussija is a ˝cjepidlaka˝ in Croatian- someone who splits hairs. But the Finnish word is better. Jaksaa seems very similar to the phrasal verb construct ˝(ne) da mi se˝ in meaning. ˝Can/can't be bothered/I (don't) feel like it˝. Vitutus is either ˝nadrkanost (the state of being jerked off)˝ or ˝raspižđenost (the state of being pissed off)˝, with both conveying extremely thin nerves and a state of sour mood.

[@teijaalanko5165]

You program its good..i like that. My inglis not good.Pidän tästä ja kuuntelen korva' tarkkana sillä oppiihan tässä lisää.🍃🌹👌🌅🌏. Kiitos Aleksi H

[@AleksiHimself]

Kiitti kommentista Teija Alanko!

[@teijaalanko5165]

@@AleksiHimself .Kiitti kovasti.👌🌅🍮👋🔠〰️😄

[@kuoppamaa150860]

Tuli mieleen pari outoa/hassua suomen kielen sanaa, joihin on yhdistetty täysin vastakkaisia elementtejä: tulipalopakkanen ja poikamiestyttö

[@AleksiHimself]

Kiitti kommentista Kari Kuoppamaa!

[@gaxyl745]

Sinä lausut hyvin suomee!

[@AleksiHimself]

Koska oon suomalainen. 😀

[@rchromatic]

It looks like "vahinko ilo" is "злорадство". Myotahapeaa - "испанский стыд". heittaa Loylya - поддать пару/жару;

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment rchromatic!

[@justanothergunnerd8128]

I have a question about Vedetäänkö Kalsarikännit.... Does this mean you are asking someone to be underwear drunk at home in the same house/place, or are you in two separate houses/places doing it? 🙂I assume it's in the same place, just want to absolutely sure - ha ha!

[@AleksiHimself]

It can be both!

[@frkenmina240]

I feel every language has words that cant translate or are hard to translate. Pålegg and dugnad are to words that are hard for me to translate into english. I dont know if i can translate those two words. Døgn are more easy to translate. Its the word for the day and night cycle

[@AleksiHimself]

We have that word in Finnish (vuorokausi) and I recognized it thru Swedish (dygn). And you are right every language have their unique words. :)

[@maksymfrantsuzov1338]

Mina Tokstad Bakken I've dropped "Døgn" into Google Translate and it was translated from Danish as "hour" for some reason. Interesting word, reminds me of день (den') that means "day" in Russian.

[@frkenmina240]

Maksym Frantsuzov now are norwegian made from danish and we share alot of words. Realy realy many words, so i am not shocked that danish has that words. And dugnad can the norwegian version of talkoot. And its more among the people in the local area😅

[@ristuksenvittu]

Talkoot eli kökkä is co-operation between multiple people for the good of everyone

[@maksymfrantsuzov1338]

Vahinko is a funny word to me 'cause in Ukrainian language it means "small vagina" in the vocative case.

[@AleksiHimself]

Wow that's funny! Thanks for sharing!

[@maksymfrantsuzov1338]

It doesn't have to be literally small as this is also the way to call it in a sweet manner :) Russian speakers assume that the word vahinko has something to do with vagina too.

[@Hanni-TuuliaHovila]

Kaamos = polar night

[@NWEuroLangs]

An English slang word 'bottle' is the same as sisukas . Example : it takes a lot of bottle to do that .

[@AleksiHimself]

I've never heard that one. Except with regular bottles of course!

[@mikitz]

Cockney?

[@NWEuroLangs]

No . Several Northern English dialects use it .

[@mikitz]

OK. Thanks for the info, mate.

[@roalba8947]

Hei Aleksi uskon että suomeksi on hankala numerot opiskelemaan siis miten me voidaan ääntää "i was born on april 15th"?

[@AleksiHimself]

"Oon syntynyt huhtikuun viidestoista." Päivämäärissä käytetään järjestysnumeroita (ordinal numbers)

[@aicheye89]

Niiiiiiiiice!!! ❤❤

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment Aichetou Mohamed Abdellahi!

[@timetoknow3252]

kiitos paljon mitäs joutua,

[@AleksiHimself]

Kiitti kommentista ግዝኣት ወዲ መድህን!

[@bluezeffer417]

The only word we Americans can't seem to translate is the food called, scrapple.

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment Guadalupe Perez!

[@Mandy_rock_ofc]

😍 🇫🇮

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment Blog Mandy Torday!

[@nDenisse]

👏bonus👏translation👏

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment n Denisse!

[@geertclaeys6209]

Leedvermaak ... 🙂

[@AleksiHimself]

Not sure what that means but thanks for the comment anyway!

[@tombaumann1529]

Talkoot= Nachbarschaftshilfe (saksa)

[@AleksiHimself]

Gut zu wissen! :)

[@oularonkkonen6364]

Melkeinpä mitään murteita ei voi kääntää esim. Savon murretta on hankala ymmärtää välillä tai Rauman giäl

[@AleksiHimself]

Sekin on totta kyl!

[@mikitz]

Olisi helvetin hauska kääntää esim. Tuntematon englanniksi...

[@bobjob3632]

Sisu !!

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@kareem8533]

Loylytän sut Aleksi suomenkielessä millon vaa, vaikka en ookkaa tosikko. And "inglis" is not even close to your "kykyjä". Sori, mutta olet tosi huono puhumaan lontoota. En ole ite paljo parempi, mutta en myöskään tee videoita elääkseni. Mun täytyy tehdä töitä että sais voita leivän päälle.

[@kareem8533]

Aleksi did you realize that your english pronunciation sounds like a sauna talking to an other sauna?

[@dominick5488]

Vahingonilo = schadenfreude

[@valtterisunkown]

hay Aleksi onko sulla skype do you have Skype can i add you

[@AleksiHimself]

You can follow me on Insta & Facebook links in the desc.

[@WardDorrity]

Lots of Finnish words for German schadenfreude. Interesting

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for the comment!

[@dominick5488]

Löyly = aufguss

[@sanjuuyonsai]

en mää jaksa = (ich habe) keine Lust. (saksa)

[@AleksiHimself]

Das kannst du laut sagen!

[@bobjob3632]

MYOTA HAPEA is SECONDE HAND EMBARASSEMENT

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks Bob!

[@dominick5488]

2. fremdschämen