Finnish phrases | Most common phrases for everyday life

Finnish phrases – Here you will find the most common phrases in Finnish with translation. | Free & useful

Finnish phrases are short expressions or idioms often used in speech to be polite, express gratitude, greet or say goodbye or simply to have a pleasant conversation.

They are an important part of Finnish culture and can be useful in different situations, both in private and business life.

Finnish phrases you should know

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Greet someone in Finnish

If you want to greet someone in Finnish, it’s actually quite easy:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Welcome! in Finnish	Tervetuloa!	[ˈterʋetuloɑ]
Good day to you! in Finnish	Hyvää päivää!	[ˈhyʋæː ˈpæiʋæː]
Good morning to you! in Finnish	Hyvää huomenta!	[ˈhyʋæː ˈhuo̯mentɑ]
Good evening! in Finnish	Hyvää iltaa!	[ˈhyʋæː ˈiltɑː]
Good to see you. in Finnish	Kiva nähdä sinua.	[ˈkiʋɑ ˈnæh.dæ ˈsi.nu.ɑ]
I’m glad to see you. in Finnish	Olen iloinen nähdessäni sinut.	[ˈo.len ˈi.loi.nen ˈnæh.des.sæ.ni ˈsi.nut]

If you are greeted in Finnish, the best way to respond is as follows:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Have a nice day too! in Finnish	Hyvää päivänjatkoa sinullekin!	[ˈhyʋæː ˈpæiʋæɲˌjɑt.kɔ.ɑ ˈsi.nul.le.kin]
Thanks, it’s nice to see you too. in Finnish	Kiitos, on mukava nähdä sinuakin.	[ˈkiː.tos ɔn ˈmu.kɑ.ʋɑ ˈnæh.dæ ˈsi.nu.ɑ.kin]

How is my dialogue partner?

As in any other country, it is polite to start by asking where the person you are talking to is located. Here’s how you do it:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
How are you doing? in Finnish	Miten menee?	[ˈmiten ˈmeneː]
Are you doing well? in Finnish	Meneekö hyvin?	[ˈme.neː.kø ˈhy.ʋin]

If you are asked how you feel, you can answer with the following phrases:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Thank you for asking, I am fine.	Kiitos kysymästä, voin hyvin.	[ˈkiːtos ˈkysymæstæ ˈʋoin ˈhyʋin]
Thank you, I am fine.	Kiitos, voin hyvin.	[ˈkiːtos ˈʋoin ˈhyʋin]
Thank you, I am not doing so well.	Kiitos, en voi kovin hyvin.	[ˈkiːtos en ˈʋoi ˈkoʋin ˈhyʋin]
Thanks, I’m fine. How are you doing?	Kiitos, voin hyvin. Miten menee?	[ˈkiːtos ˈʋoin ˈhyʋin ˈmiten ˈmeneː]

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How do I say goodbye to someone in Finnish?

Saying goodbye to a friend or stranger in Finnish is not that difficult. Just use the following phrases:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Goodbye! in Finnish	Näkemiin!	[ˈnækemiːn]
Take care of yourself! in Finnish	Pidä huolta itsestäsi!	[ˈpidæ ˈhuoltɑ ˈitːes̠tæsi]
Goodbye in Finnish	Hei hei	[ˈhei ˈhei]
See you tomorrow in Finnish	Nähdään huomenna	[ˈnæhdæːn ˈhuo̯menːɑ]
See you soon in Finnish	Nähdään pian	[ˈnæhdæːn ˈpiɑn]
See you later in Finnish	Nähdään myöhemmin	[ˈnæhdæːn ˈmyø̯hemin]
Good night in Finnish	Hyvää yötä	[ˈhyvæː ˈyøtæ]
Sleep well in Finnish	Nuku hyvin	[ˈnuku ˈhyʋin]
Talk to you later. in Finnish	Jutellaan myöhemmin.	[ˈjutelːɑːn ˈmyø̯hemin]
Nice to have met you! in Finnish	Oli mukava tavata!	[ˈoli ˈmukɑʋɑ ˈtɑʋɑtɑ]

How do I introduce myself in Finnish?

When travelling in Finland, sooner or later you will come into contact with local people. Naturally, you’ll want to introduce yourself in Finnish and know who you’re talking to.

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
My name is Jonas.	Minun nimeni on Jonas.	[ˈminun ˈnimeni on ˈjonɑs]
What is your name?	Mikä sinun nimesi on?	[ˈmikæ ˈsinun ˈnimesi on]
What is your surname?	Mikä on sukunimesi?	[ˈmikæ on ˈsukunimesi]
What is your first name?	Mikä on etunimesi?	[ˈmikæ on ˈetunimesi]
What is your surname?	Mikä on sukunimesi?	[ˈmikæ on ˈsukunimesi]

If you want to tell people where you come from, the following sentences are useful:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Where do you come from?	Mistä olet kotoisin?	[ˈmistæ ˈolet ˈkotoisin]
I am from London.	Olen kotoisin Lontoosta.	[ˈolen ˈkotoisin ˈlontoːstɑ]
Are you from Birmingham?	Oletko kotoisin Birminghamista?	[ˈoletko ˈkotoisin ˈbærminghæmistɑ]
No, I’m from Madrid.	En, olen kotoisin Madridista.	[ˈen ˈolen ˈkotoisin ˈmɑdritistɑ]
Great, I’m from Madrid too.	Hienoa, olen myös kotoisin Madridista.	[ˈhienoɑ ˈolen ˈmyø̯s ˈkotoisin ˈmɑdritistɑ]
Where do you live?	Missä asut?	[ˈmissæ ˈɑsut]
I live in Berlin.	Asun Berliinissä.	[ˈɑsun ˈberliːnissæ]

If you have problems with your Finnish, it is good to know which languages are still spoken:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Do you speak English?	Puhutko englantia?	[ˈpuhutko ˈeŋlɑntiɑ]
Yes, I speak English.	Kyllä, puhun englantia.	[ˈkylːæ ˈpuhun ˈeŋlɑntiɑ]
Yes, I speak some English.	Kyllä, puhun vähän englantia.	[ˈkylːæ ˈpuhun ˈvæhæn ˈeŋlɑntiɑ]
No, I do not speak any English.	En, en puhu englantia ollenkaan.	[ˈen ˈen ˈpuhu ˈeŋlɑntiɑ ˈollenkɑːn]
I only speak English.	Puhun vain englantia.	[ˈpuhun ˈʋɑin ˈeŋlɑntiɑ]
I understand some Finnish.	Ymmärrän vähän suomea.	[ˈymːærːæn ˈvæhæn ˈsuomeɑ]

Useful sentences with ‘I am…’

The following sentences will help you orientate yourself in Finnish and express your wishes and concerns:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
I am English in Finnish	Olen englantilainen.	[ˈolen ˈeŋlɑntilɑi̯nen]
I am injured in Finnish	Olen loukkaantunut.	[ˈolen ˈloukkɑːntunut]
I am here in Finnish	Olen täällä.	[ˈolen ˈtæːlæ]
I am hungry in Finnish	Minulla on nälkä.	[ˈminullɑ on ˈnælkæ]
I am thirsty in Finnish	Minulla on jano.	[ˈminullɑ on ˈjɑno]
I am a single person in Finnish	Olen sinkku.	[ˈolen ˈsiŋkːu]
I need help! in Finnish	Tarvitsen apua!	[ˈtɑrʋitsen ˈɑpuɑ]
I am tired in Finnish	Olen väsynyt.	[ˈolen ˈʋæsynyt]
I am happy in Finnish	Olen onnellinen.	[ˈolen ˈonːelinen]
I am sad in Finnish	Olen surullinen.	[ˈolen ˈsuruˌlːinen]
I am in love in Finnish	Olen rakastunut.	[ˈolen ˈrɑkɑstunut]
I am ill in Finnish	Olen sairas.	[ˈolen ˈsɑirɑs]
I am ready in Finnish	Olen valmis.	[ˈolen ˈʋɑlmis]
I am busy in Finnish	Olen kiireinen.	[ˈolen ˈkiːrei̯nen]
I am lost in Finnish	Olen eksyksissä.	[ˈolen ˈeksyksisːæ]
I am a tourist in Finnish	Olen turisti.	[ˈolen ˈturisti]
I am new here in Finnish	Olen uusi täällä.	[ˈolen ˈuːsi ˈtæːlæ]
I am confident in Finnish	Olen itsevarma.	[ˈolen ˈitseˌʋɑrmɑ]
I am proud in Finnish	Olen ylpeä.	[ˈolen ˈylpeæ]
I am a teacher in Finnish	Olen opettaja.	[ˈolen ˈopetːɑjɑ]
I am late in Finnish	Olen myöhässä.	[ˈolen ˈmyøhæssæ]
I am 30 years old in Finnish	Olen kolmekymmentä vuotta vanha.	[ˈolen ˈkolmekymːentæ ˈʋuottɑ ˈʋɑnhɑ]
I am in a hurry in Finnish	Minulla on kiire.	[ˈminullɑ on ˈkiːre]
I am happy in Finnish	Olen iloinen.	[ˈolen ˈiloinen]
I am surprised in Finnish	Olen yllättynyt.	[ˈolen ˈyllætːynyt]
I am angry in Finnish	Olen vihainen.	[ˈolen ˈʋihɑinen]

Apologising in Finnish

Here’s how to apologise to a Finnish speaker:

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
I apologise.	Pyydän anteeksi.	[ˈpyːdæn ˈɑnteːksi]
Sorry, that was not the intention.	Anteeksi, se ei ollut tarkoitus.	[ˈɑnteːksi se ei ˈolːut ˈtɑrkoitus]
Sorry, I did not do it on purpose.	Anteeksi, en tehnyt sitä tahallani.	[ˈɑnteːksi en ˈtehnyt ˈsitɑ ˈtɑhɑlːɑni]
Sorry, that was very clumsy of me.	Anteeksi, se oli todella kömpelöä minulta.	[ˈɑnteːksi se ˈoli ˈtodeːlɑ ˈkømpeløæ ˈminultɑ]

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More information about the Finnish Intermediate Course.

Useful signs and notices in Finnish

Useful signs and messages in Finnish that you will often see.

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Entrance in Finnish	Sisäänkäynti	[ˈsisæːnˌkæyn̪ti]
Toilet in Finnish	Vessa	[ˈvesːɑ]
Exit in Finnish	Uloskäynti	[ˈulosˌkæyn̪ti]
Attention! in Finnish	Huomio!	[ˈhuo̯mio]
Police in Finnish	Poliisi	[ˈpoliːsi]
Emergency services in Finnish	Hätäkeskus	[ˈhætæˌkeskus]
Fire brigade in Finnish	Palokunta	[ˈpɑlokuntɑ]
Passage forbidden. in Finnish	Kulku kielletty.	[ˈkulku ˈkie̯lːetty]
Caution! in Finnish	Varo!	[ˈʋɑro]
This building is under video surveillance. in Finnish	Tätä rakennusta valvotaan videolla.	[ˈtætæ ˈrɑkenːustɑ ˈʋɑlʋotɑːn ˈʋideo̯llɑ]

Numbers to 25 in Finnish

Counting in Finnish is not that difficult. Here are the numbers in Finnish from 1 to 25.

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
One in Finnish	Yksi	[ˈyksi]
Two in Finnish	Kaksi	[ˈkɑksi]
Three in Finnish	Kolme	[ˈkolme]
Four in Finnish	Neljä	[ˈneljæ]
Five in Finnish	Viisi	[ˈʋiːsi]
Six in Finnish	Kuusi	[ˈkuːsi]
Seven in Finnish	Seitsemän	[ˈseit̪semæn]
Eight in Finnish	Kahdeksan	[ˈkɑhdekːsɑn]
Nine in Finnish	Yhdeksän	[ˈyhdekːsæn]
Ten in Finnish	Kymmenen	[ˈkymːenen]
Eleven in Finnish	Yksitoista	[ˈyksitoistɑ]
Twelve in Finnish	Kaksitoista	[ˈkɑksitoistɑ]
Thirteen in Finnish	Kolmetoista	[ˈkolmetoistɑ]
Fourteen in Finnish	Neljätoista	[ˈneljæt̪oistɑ]
Fifteen in Finnish	Viisitoista	[ˈʋiːsitoistɑ]
Sixteen in Finnish	Kuusitoista	[ˈkuːsitoistɑ]
Seventeen in Finnish	Seitsemäntoista	[ˈseit̪semænt̪oistɑ]
Eighteen in Finnish	Kahdeksantoista	[ˈkɑhdekːsɑnt̪oistɑ]
Nineteen in Finnish	Yhdeksäntoista	[ˈyhdekːsænt̪oistɑ]
Twenty in Finnish	Kaksikymmentä	[ˈkɑksikymːentæ]
Twenty-one in Finnish	Kaksikymmentäyksi	[ˈkɑksikymːentæˌyksi]
Twenty-two in Finnish	Kaksikymmentäkaksi	[ˈkɑksikymːentækˌɑksi]
Twenty-three in Finnish	Kaksikymmentäkolme	[ˈkɑksikymːentækˌolme]
Twenty-four in Finnish	Kaksikymmentäneljä	[ˈkɑksikymːentæˌneljæ]
Twenty-five in Finnish	Kaksikymmentäviisi	[ˈkɑksikymːentæˌʋiːsi]

The colours in Finnish

The most common colours in Finnish with phonetic transcription for pronunciation.

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Red in Finnish	Punainen	[ˈpunɑi̯nen]
Blue in Finnish	Sininen	[ˈsininen]
Yellow in Finnish	Keltainen	[ˈkeltɑi̯nen]
Green in Finnish	Vihreä	[ˈʋihreæ]
Black in Finnish	Musta	[ˈmustɑ]
White in Finnish	Valkoinen	[ˈʋɑlkoine̞n]
Orange in Finnish	Oranssi	[ˈorɑnssi]
Brown in Finnish	Ruskea	[ˈruskeɑ]
Pink in Finnish	Vaaleanpunainen	[ˈʋɑːleɑnpunɑi̯nen]
Purple in Finnish	Violetti	[ˈʋioletti]

Days of the week, months and seasons in Finnish

Of course, you will also need the days of the week in Finnish and the pronunciation of the months and seasons in dialogues and daily communication in Finnish.

English	Finnish	Phonetic (IPA)
Monday in Finnish	Maanantai	[ˈmɑːnɑntɑi̯]
Tuesday in Finnish	Tiistai	[ˈtiːstɑi̯]
Wednesday in Finnish	Keskiviikko	[ˈkeskʲiˌʋikːo]
Thursday in Finnish	Torstai	[ˈtorstɑi̯]
Friday in Finnish	Perjantai	[ˈperjɑntɑi̯]
Saturday in Finnish	Lauantai	[ˈlɑu̯ɑntɑi̯]
Sunday in Finnish	Sunnuntai	[ˈsunːuntɑi̯]
January in Finnish	Tammikuu	[ˈtɑmːikuː]
February in Finnish	Helmikuu	[ˈhelmikuː]
March in Finnish	Maaliskuu	[ˈmɑːliskuː]
April in Finnish	Huhtikuu	[ˈhuhtikuː]
May in Finnish	Toukokuu	[ˈtou̯kokuː]
June in Finnish	Kesäkuu	[ˈkesæk̥uː]
July in Finnish	Heinäkuu	[ˈhei̯næk̥uː]
August in Finnish	Elokuu	[ˈelokuː]
September in Finnish	Syyskuu	[ˈsyːskuː]
October in Finnish	Lokakuu	[ˈlokɑkuː]
November in Finnish	Marraskuu	[ˈmɑrːɑskuː]
December in Finnish	Joulukuu	[ˈjou̯lukuː]
Spring in Finnish	Kevät	[ˈkeʋæt̪]
Summer in Finnish	Kesä	[ˈkesæ]
Autumn in Finnish	Syksy	[ˈsyksy]
Winter in Finnish	Talvi	[ˈtɑlʋi]

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More information about the Finnish Business Course.

Additional links

• Learn Finnish with Mondly
• The different ways of learning languages
• Learning vocabulary successfully
• Motivated language learning
• It is so easy to train your understanding of a language at the same time
• Learning languages quickly? – Is it possible?
• The different types of learners when learning languages

More information about the Finnish Course for Children.