English to Finnish Wordlist: A Compact Dictionary for BeginnersLearning a new language is like opening a door to a different way of seeing the world. For English speakers beginning Finnish, the journey can feel especially rewarding — and occasionally challenging — because Finnish belongs to the Uralic family, not the Indo-European group that English is part of. This article gives you a compact, practical English→Finnish wordlist with usage tips, pronunciation cues, common phrases, and study strategies to accelerate your progress.
Why learn Finnish?
Finnish is spoken by about 5 million people, primarily in Finland, and it’s an official language of the European Union. If you plan to travel, study, work, or live in Finland, or if you’re interested in Finnish culture, music, or literature, learning core vocabulary will make everyday life and deeper cultural engagement far easier. Finnish also has a logical structure that, once understood, rewards consistent learners with predictable patterns.
How to use this wordlist
- Start with high-frequency words and practical phrases for daily life: greetings, numbers, directions, food, shopping, and emergency terms.
- Practice pronunciation: Finnish is largely phonetic, so learning letter-to-sound correspondences helps a lot. Use resources with audio (apps, online dictionaries).
- Memorize in context: pair words with short sentences or images.
- Use spaced repetition (SRS) to retain vocabulary over time.
- Focus on case endings later: for beginners, learn nominative forms first, then add common cases like partitive and genitive.
Pronunciation basics (quick guide)
- Finnish is mostly phonetic—each letter usually has one sound.
- Vowels: a [ɑ], e [e], i [i], o [o], u [u], y [y], ä [æ], ö [ø].
- Double letters indicate longer sounds (e.g., kk, aa).
- Stress is almost always on the first syllable.
Compact English→Finnish wordlist for beginners
Below are grouped, practical vocabulary lists with the English word followed by the Finnish translation. For simplicity, words are in their basic (nominative) forms.
Common greetings & polite phrases
- Hello — Hei / Moi
- Good morning — Hyvää huomenta
- Good evening — Hyvää iltaa
- Goodbye — Näkemiin / Moi moi
- Please — Ole hyvä (when offering) / Kiitos (please rarely used)
- Thank you — Kiitos
- Yes — Kyllä
- No — Ei
- Excuse me / Sorry — Anteeksi
Basic personal words
- I — Minä (often shortened to mä in colloquial speech)
- You — Sinä (sä in colloquial)
- He — Hän (for both he/she)
- We — Me
- They — He / Ne
- Name — Nimi
- Friend — Ystävä
Numbers (1–10)
- One — Yksi
- Two — Kaksi
- Three — Kolme
- Four — Neljä
- Five — Viisi
- Six — Kuusi
- Seven — Seitsemän
- Eight — Kahdeksan
- Nine — Yhdeksän
- Ten — Kymmenen
Days & time basics
- Today — Tänään
- Tomorrow — Huomenna
- Yesterday — Eilen
- Day — Päivä
- Night — Yö
- Morning — Aamu
- Evening — Ilta
- Now — Nyt
- Later — Myöhemmin / Myöhemmin
Food & dining
- Water — Vesi
- Bread — Leipä
- Coffee — Kahvi
- Tea — Tee
- Milk — Maito
- Egg — Kananmuna
- Meat — Liha
- Fish — Kala
- Fruit — Hedelmä
- Vegetable — Vihannes
- Restaurant — Ravintola
- Menu — Ruokalista
Shopping & money
- Price — Hinta
- Cheap — Halpa
- Expensive — Kallis
- Store / Shop — Kauppa
- Cash — Käteinen
- Credit card — Luottokortti
Directions & transport
- Where? — Missä?
- Left — Vasen
- Right — Oikea
- Straight — Suoraan
- Bus — Bussi
- Train — Juna
- Airport — Lentokenttä
- Ticket — Lippu
Common adjectives
- Big — Iso / Suuri
- Small — Pieni
- Good — Hyvä
- Bad — Huono
- Hot — Kuuma
- Cold — Kylmä
- New — Uusi
- Old — Vanha
Health & emergency
- Help! — Apua!
- Doctor — Lääkäri
- Hospital — Sairaala
- Pharmacy — Apteekki
- I’m sick — Olen sairaana / Voin pahoin
Common verbs (infinitive forms)
- To be — Olla
- To have — Omistaa / Olla (I have = Minulla on)
- To go — Mennä
- To come — Tulla
- To eat — Syödä
- To drink — Juoda
- To see — Nähdä
- To hear — Kuulla
- To speak — Puhua
- To want — Haluta
- To know — Tietää
Useful short sentences
- Where is the bathroom? — Missä on vessa?
- How much does this cost? — Paljonko tämä maksaa?
- I don’t understand. — En ymmärrä.
- I speak a little Finnish. — Puhun vähän suomea.
- Can you help me? — Voitko auttaa minua?
Tips to expand vocabulary fast
- Label objects around your home in Finnish.
- Learn words in thematic blocks (kitchen, travel, emotions).
- Read simple children’s books or bilingual texts.
- Listen to Finnish radio or podcasts aimed at learners.
- Practice speaking with native speakers or language partners.
Common beginner pitfalls
- Expecting one-to-one translations: Finnish expresses some ideas differently (e.g., possession “I have” = Minulla on).
- Ignoring vowel harmony and case endings: these matter for grammar and meaning.
- Over-focusing on irregular verbs: Finnish verbs are actually quite regular compared to many Indo-European languages.
Sample 30-word beginner exercise (translate to Finnish)
Try translating these to reinforce core vocabulary:
- Hello
- Thank you
- Water
- Bread
- I
- You
- Good
- Bad
- Where?
- Bus
- Train
- Ticket
- Price
- Cheap
- Big
- Small
- To go
- To eat
- To drink
- Today
- Tomorrow
- Night
- Friend
- Name
- Doctor
- Hospital
- Help!
- I don’t understand
- I speak a little Finnish
- How much?
(Answers are in the lists above.)
Final notes
This compact wordlist gives a functional foundation for everyday Finnish. Prioritize listening and speaking early, pair vocabulary with phrases, and gradually add grammar (cases, verb conjugations) as you become comfortable with the core words. Enjoy the learning process — Finnish rewards steady practice.
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