Monday, February 27, 2017

Parenting in Finland

Here's a post about all the equipment you need to have if you live in Finland and your children go to either daycare or school here. I hope you all have a Finnish friend with same aged, or even better, older kids, from whom you can ask for advice. I realize that I'm very spoiled because I have a big brother with older kids, and my kids often get their gear directly from their cousins.

For the most time of the year, your children will need some kind of ulkovaatteet, outside clothes. Finnish children go out no matter how cold or wet the weather is, so you just have to dress your child according to the temperature. And don't forget kuravaatteet or sadevaatteet, the rubber-made overalls, jacket and rubber mittens. Usually the daycare teachers advise you to have a set of kuravaatteet and kumisaappaat, rubber boots, that you keep at the daycare. If that's the case, you are also advised to bring the muddy clothes home for the weekend for a wash. Most kids wear some kind of tossut or sisäkengät (slippers or inside shoes) inside.

Of course, it depends on the region, but here's a list of sports equipment your children will most likely need from the age 4 (or maybe even 3) up:

  • sukset - skis (Not the strap-on ones but real skis.)
  • sauvat - ski poles 
  • monot - ski boots
  • suksipidike - the thing that keeps the skis and ski poles together when you carry them
  • luistimet - skates
  • luistinten teränsuojukset - skate blade covers
  • kypärä - a helmet (Ideally the same helmet would work for biking, skating and downhill skiing, but you'll probably need several different helmets.)
  • uimapuku tai uimahousut - a swimsuit or swim trunks (the European style, not the loose shorts.)
  • reppu, johon kaikki mahtuu - a backpack that fits everything

In school, they might also want to have

  • sisäpelikengät - indoor sport shoes
  • salibandymaila - a floorball stick

For organizing art work and different papers you might be asked to bring


And while you're out there shopping, you might as well make a trip to the pharmacy and buy some täishampoo just in case your child (and the rest of the family, too) will get lice. Oh, and at some point your child will want to have naamiaisasu, a costume.  My favourite way of marking my children's clothes and gear is this kangasteippi, fabric tape and this kind of merkintätussi, a fabric marker.

If this was useful, you might also like my e-book A guide for schoolkids parents.


About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if your want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

The difference between mennä and käydä

I have written about the verb käydä before, but here's a post about the difference between mennä and käydä.

Mennä only indicates that someone is going somewhere. That's it.


  • Mä menen kuntosalille. - I'm going to the gym. 
  • Mä menen kauppaan. - I'm going to the store. 
  • Mä menen lenkille. - I'm going for a run / walk.
  • Mä menen sunnuntaina Helsinkiin. - I'm going to Helsinki on Sunday. 




Käydä has the idea that you either do something kind of regularly or go somewhere and only stay there for a short time.


  • Mä käyn kuntosalilla.  - I go to the gym. (It's my hobby.)
  • Mä käyn kaupassa mieluiten illalla. - I prefer going to the shop in the evening. (That's what I usually do.)
  • Mä käyn lenkillä.  - I'll go jogging. (I'll be back soonish.)
  • Mä käyn sunnuntaina Helsingissä. - I'll visit Helsinki on Sunday. (I'll be back before the day is over.)


About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Partitiivi vai genetiivi?

I already have a post about the object, but here are some simple examples about the difference between the genitive and partitive cases in an object sentence:

  • Mä haluan ton kirjan. - I want that book.
  • Mä en halua tota kirjaa. - I don't want that book. (Because the sentence is negative.)

  • Mikko osti kanan. - Mikko bought a chicken. (A whole bird.)
  • Mikko osti kanaa. - Mikko bought chicken. (Some chicken meat.)

  • ostan kahvin. - I'll buy a cup of coffee. 
  • Mä ostan kahvia. - I'll buy some coffee. 

  • Luin junassa kirjan. - I read a book on the train. (I finished the book.)
  • Luin junassa kirjaa. - I was reading a book on the train. (Haven't finished the book yet.)

  • Poliisi ampui miehen. - A police shot a man. (And the man died.)
  • Poliisi ampui miestä. - A police shot at a man. (The man is hurt but alive.)

p.s. My post Describing things has more about the fascinating partitive case!


About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.