Five fascinating facts about the Finnish language

 Finland is often ranked one of the happiest countries in the world. This is probably due to a combination of factors, including the country’s strong social safety net, its emphasis on education, and its beautiful natural environment. However, there is another aspect that may contribute to Finland’s enviable happiness: its language.

Finnish is truly a fascinating language, as evidenced by these five surprising facts:

1. No gendered pronouns

In many languages, pronouns are gendered. This means that there are separate pronouns for men and women. For example, in English, we use the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’ to refer to men and women respectively.‘ However, Finnish does not have gendered pronouns. Instead, the pronoun ‘hän’ is used for both men and women. In a world where gender identities are becoming increasingly diverse, the use of a single pronoun for everyone offers a more inclusive way of speaking.

2. Looong words

Numerous languages around the world have different ways of combining words to form compound words. Some English examples include newspaper, grandmother, crossbow, and firecracker. The Finnish language is known for its long compound words, with the longest being ‘epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänsäkäänköhän.’ This seemingly unpronounceable word has a lot of suffixes attached to it, and it literally means ‘with their lack of organisation maybe perhaps.’ However, a direct translation doesn't really do this impressive word justice, and even a contextual translation would be difficult.

Another lengthy Finnish compound word is ‘lentokonesuihkuturbiiniapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas.’ This colossal word refers to an army student turbojet mechanic, and is consequently not really commonly used! However, it still serves as a good example of how Finnish forms compound words.

The Finnish way of forming compound words allows for the creation of very long words that can be both specific and descriptive. This can be helpful for communication among native Finnish speakers, but it can also be challenging for learners.

3. If you speak Finnish, you will also be able to pick up Estonian relatively quickly

Finnish and Estonian are closely related languages, so much so in fact that Finnish speakers can sometimes hold conversations with Estonian people. This is because the two languages share much of their vocabulary and grammar.

Here are some Finnish and Estonian words which are identical:

And here is a list of Finnish and Estonian words which are fairly similar:

 If you're interested in learning two languages for the price of one, Finnish and Estonian are a great option. Not only are the two languages closely related, but they are also both beautiful and expressive.

4. Spoken Finnish and written Finnish can be quite different

For example, the sentence ‘I am not coming there today’ can be written as ‘Minä en ole tulossa sinne tänään’ in formal Finnish. However, in spoken Finnish, this sentence is more likely to be said as ‘Mä en oo tulos sinne tänää.’ This is because, like many other languages, the spoken form of the sentence is more informal and uses shorter words.

This difference between spoken and written Finnish can be tricky for learners. The reason for this is that when you first start learning Finnish, you will typically learn the formal way of saying things. However, if you want to speak Finnish like a native speaker, you will need to learn the informal way of saying things as well.

So don't be afraid to break the rules and start speaking Finnish like a native speaker!

5. Just one letter can make all the difference

Finnish is a language where the meaning of a word can change dramatically depending on the pronunciation of the vowels. For example, the phrase ‘Tapaan sinut myöhemmin tänä yönä’ means ‘I will meet you later tonight.’ However, if you forget one of the vowels in the word ‘tapaan’ and say ‘Tapan sinut illalla,’ the meaning changes markedly to ‘I will kill you tonight.’

This is because Finnish vowels are often stretched out, and the meaning of a word can change depending on how long the vowel is pronounced. For example, the vowel in the word ‘tapaan’ is pronounced as a long vowel when it is followed by two consonants. However, the vowel in the word ‘tapan’ is pronounced as a short vowel when it is followed by only one consonant.

This difference in pronunciation can have a significant impact on the meaning of a word. So it’s important to be careful when pronouncing Finnish vowels, especially if you are trying to avoid saying something that you certainly don't mean!

In conclusion, Finnish is a fascinating and complex language with a rich history, and mastering this initially tricky tongue can be a genuinely life-changing experience. These five facts are just a small glimpse of what makes Finnish so unique.