Saturday, October 12, 2013

Learning Finnish for a movie role

This is interesting. A Swedish actor has been chosen to play a Finnish character in a Finnish movie Vadelmavenepakolainen, and that's why he is now intensively studying Finnish. He says that he didn't know any Finnish before he started taking classes twice a week last summer. Vadelmavenepakolainen is a very funny novel by Miika Nousiainen. In short, it's a story of a Finnish man who is obsessed with everything Swedish. I'm really looking forward to seeing this movie, not just because the book was really good, but also because of the language. Hyvä, Jonas!

Oh, vadelmavene is a raspberry-flavoured candy shaped of a boat and pakolainen is a refugee.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Finnish words with nothing but u's

Inspired by a little lady who can ask for plums, here's a list of Finnish words  and expressions that don't have any other vowels but u's. Just for the fun of it.

  1. huhu
  2. hupsu
  3. juju
  4. juttu
  5. kuu
  6. luu
  7. luumu
  8. muu
  9. nuppu
  10. puklu
  11. pusu
  12. ruusu
  13. suu
  14. tupsu
  15. Tuu, muru!
  16. Puhu, hullu!
  17. Sun huppu juuttuu puuhun.
  18. Pulu nukkuu.
  19. Mun tuttu puuttuu.
  20. Sun pupu hukkuu. 
Here are the translations:
  1. a rumor
  2. silly 
  3. a catch, a trick
  4. a thing
  5. a moon
  6. a bone
  7. a plum
  8. other
  9. a bud
  10. baby barf
  11. a kiss
  12. a rose
  13. a mouth
  14. a tassel
  15. Come, darling!
  16. Speak, you crazy!
  17. Your hood is getting stuck in a tree. 
  18. A pigeon is sleeping. 
  19. My acquaintance is missing. 
  20. Your bunny rabbit is drowning.
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About the author of this blog:  


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti, and I am a native Finn who gives private lessons via Skype and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please leave a comment, if you have something to ask about Finnish.

My favourite language blogs

I like to read other people's language blogs. Whenever I have time I check out what's new in the super inspirational Fluent in 3 Months. I also like to follow this Finnish girl's blog about Living a Dream in China. Here's a post where she lists different Chinese learning methods. I'm sure you can apply them to studying Finnish, too. Some elementary schools in Finland have already started teaching Chinese, and I wonder when studying Chinese will be an everyday thing all over the country! 33 letters is the Russian language blog that I follow. I also like to watch the Finnish news in Russian.

What are your favourite language blogs?


Thursday, October 10, 2013

Compensating for a lost library book

I wish I didn't have experience on this situation, but unfortunately I do. So here's what to say in Finnish when you have lost a library book.

  • Hei, mä olen kadottanut yhden teidän kirjan. - Hi, I've lost one of your books. 
  • Mä olen tosi pahoillani. - I'm very sorry. 
  • Joo, olen etsinyt sitä ihan kaikkialta. - Yes, I've been looking for it everywhere. 
  • Se ei ole missään. - It is nowhere. 
  • Olen ihan varma. - I'm absolutely sure. 
  • Voitko vielä tarkistaa teidän järjestelmästä, ettei se ole löytynyt täältä kirjastostakaan? - Could you check from your system that is hasn't been found here in the library either? (kirjasto+sta+kaan)
  • Kuinka paljon mun täytyy maksaa? - How much do I have to pay?
  • Tässä. - Here. 
  • Kiitos moi. - Thank you. Bye.

The top three places where the lost books usually are: 
  1. Toisen kirjan välissä - Between another book
  2. Patterin takana - Behind the radiator
  3. Jossain kassissa, jota luulet tyhjäksi - In a bag which you think is empty