ohhh yeah 😂 i often hear my partner voice consonants a bit too much, and the cutest occasion went something like this:

her: I was watching this document about bolar bears--

me: Did you say bolar bears?

her: Yes, about bolar bears and the climate.

me: Bolar bears. Watching a "document" about bolar bears. 🥺😍 Bolar bears.

her: 😑

Has anyone else who speaks Finnish and English noticed how the 'p' and 'b' from English don't work in Finnish and vice versa?

Someone said to me today like 17 times "bussi" and all I could hear was "pussi".

Which is awkward at the best of times.

2021 storming of the United States Capitol vocabulary in Finnish

Yhdysvaltain kongressitalo - United States Capitol Yhdysvallat - United States Presidentti - president Vaalit - elections Vaalivilppi - electoral fraud Valhe - lie Salaliitto, juoni, konspiraatio - conspiracy Mielenosoitus - protest, demonstration, rally Mellakka - riot Kapina - rebellion, insurrection Kapinanlietsonta, kansankiihotus - sedition Hyökkäys - attack Vallankaappaus - coup d'état Terrorismi - terrorism Maanpetos - treason Väkivalta - violence Ilkivalta - vandalism Tukija - supporter Seuraaja - follower Mielenosoittaja - protestor, demonstrator Mellakoitsija - rioter Radikalisoitunut - radicalized Äärioikeistolainen - far-righter Uusnatsi - neo-nazi Terroristi - terrorist Rikollinen - criminal Kultti - cult Poliisi - police Yhdysvaltain keskusrikospoliisi, FBI - FBI Armeija - military Fasismi - facism Rasismi - racism Valkoinen ylivalta - white supremacy Epätasa-arvo - inequality Ase - weapon, gun Räjähde - explosive Käsiraudat - handcuffs Barrikadi - barricade Konfederaation lippu - Confederate flag Yllyttää - to incite Tunkeutua - to invade, to trespass Murtautua - to break in Hyökätä - to attack Valloittaa - to take over, to occupy, to conquer Päästää sisään - to let in Vastustaa - to oppose, to resist, to object Kumota - to overthrow Estää - to stop, to impede, to prevent, to hinder Häiritä - to disrupt Ryöstää - to loot Varastaa - to steal Tärvellä - to vandalize Pelotella - to intimidate Uhkailla - to threaten Evakuoida - to evacuate Pidättää - to arrest Loukkaantua - to get injured Kuolla - to die Irtisanoutua - to resign Tuomita - to condemn Jäädyttää tili - to suspend an account Laskea - to count Vahvistaa - to verify Häväistys - dishonour Häpeä - shame Uhka demokratialle - threat to democracy Hyökkäys demokratiaa vastaan - attack on democracy

i love that in finland when someone, usually your kid or a loved one is going somewhere we dont say things like “take care”, we say “oo sit ihmisiks” which means “act like a human”

Police Brutality vocabulary in Finnish

Based on @iprobablyspeakyourlanguage​‘s vocabulary list!

Poliisiväkivalta - police brutality Väkivalta - violence Väkivaltainen - violent Voimankäyttö - use of force Pahoinpitely - abuse, battery, assault Valkoinen ylivalta - white supremacy Rasismi - racism Rasisti - a racist (person) Rasistinen - racist Rakenteellinen rasismi - institutional racism Syrjintä - discrimination Eriarvoisuus - inequality Kokoontuminen - gathering Mielenosoitus, protesti - protest Mellakka - riot Kapina - rebellion Vastarinta - resistance Ryöstö - robbery, looting Poliisi - police Kansalliskaarti - national guard Asevoimat - armed forces Sotilas - soldier Siviili - civilian Mielenosoittaja - protester Mellakoitsija - rioter Pidätellä - to restrain, to hold Pidättää - to arrest Tukehduttaa - to choke someone, to suffocate someone Lyödä - to hit, to punch Hakata - to beat up Ampua - to shoot Haavoittaa - to wound Tappaa - to kill Sytyttää tuleen - to set on fire Rikkoa - to break Vahingoittaa - to damage Varastaa - to steal Ryöstää - to rob, to loot Puolustaa itseään - to defend oneself Suojella - to protect Olla jtn vastaan - to be against smth, to be opposed to Osoittaa mieltä - to protest Ottaa yhteen - to clash Kuolema - death Murha - murder Ase - weapon Pamppu - baton Suojakilpi - shield Kyynelkaasu - tear gas Pippurikaasu - pepper spray Polttopullo - molotov cocktail Kumiluoti - rubber bullet Tainnutuskranaatti - stun grenade Käsiraudat - handcuffs Makuuasento  - prone position Oikeus - right Oikeudenmukaisuus, oikeus - justice Tasa-arvo, yhdenvertaisuus - equality Rauha - peace Rauhanomainen - peaceful, non-violent Vetoomus, adressi - petition En voi hengittää - I can’t breathe Black Lives Matter - Black Lives Matter

Nice examples! I enjoy it too, how finnish words make so much sense. When I see an unfamiliar long one, it's exciting to realize I know all the parts and can guess at its meaning. It makes learning basic words seem even more valuable.

English has some elements of this too, if you look for the roots. Like conspiracy is made of con- (with) and -spir (breath), which you can picture as people whispering together. Expedition is made of ex- (out) and -pedi (foot), which suggests going out on foot. If more of these patterns where taught in schools, maybe our education would improve.

Languages are cool \o/

Me realising that the Finnish word for concussion is aivotärähdys (i.e. brain vibration/jolt).... 🤯 I hadn't even realised this thing specifically affected the brain. This led my bf to come up with the conspiracy theory that finnish education system is so "good" because the language is so literal, so everyone understands what is going on. By the way, conspiracy is salaliitto (secret alliance). Another good one is expedition, which is löytöretki (finding trip).

The truth is that entering an intimate relationship with a new language often colours everything. Our eyes expect the new words. Our ears habituate to the new sounds. Our pens memorise the new letters. While the infatuation takes over our senses, the language’s anatomy etches into our brains. Neural pathways are laid, connections are formed. Brain networks integrate. Grey matter becomes denser, white matter gets strengthened. Then, splatters of the new hues begin to show up in letters to grandma. Linguists call this ‘second language interference’, when the new language interferes with the old language, like a new lover rearranging the furniture of your bedroom, as if to say – this is how things will be done around here from now on. Somehow, writing exposes this interference (this betrayal, as grandma saw it) more than speaking ever could. Maybe because, when spoken, our words are at the mercy of our facial expressions and the range of our timbres, as the French author Guy de Maupassant observed; ‘But black words on a white page are the soul laid bare.’

Marianna Pogosyan, “Why learning a new language is like an illicit love affair” (via linguisten)

Joka

Joka is a way of joining two ideas together in the one sentence and is used in place of the English words “who”, “that”, “which”. 

However joka needs to be altered to agree with situation, both in terms of singular versus plural, and also the form of the word.

How to form joka in different cases:  1. For singular remove -ka and add the ending. 2. For plural remove -ka and add i and then the ending. 

Unfortunately nominative and genitive are exceptions, so just learn these separately.

                            Sing.          Plural

Nominative         Joka           Jotka Genitive              Jonka         Joiden  Partitive              Jota            Joita Inessive              Jossa         Joissa Elative                Josta          Joista

Examples

Singular/Basic  Poika, joka saapui eilen, on minun ystäväni.  The boy, who came yesterday, is my friend. 

Plural/Basic Pojat, jotka saapuivat eilen, ovat minun ystäviäni.  The boys, who came yesterday, are my friends. 

Singular/Genitive Tyttö, jonka nimi on Hanna, tulee huomenna.  The girl, whose name is Hanna, comes tomorrow.

Plural/Genitive Tytöt, joiden nimet ovat Hanna ja Jenni, tulevat huomenna.  The girls, whose names are Hanna and Jenni, come tomorrow.

Singular/Inessive Kaupunki, jossa minä tapasin sinut, on kaunis. The city, where I met you, is beautiful.

Lastly, joka (short for jokainen) can be used to mean “every”, such as  joka päivä - every day joka maassa - in every country 

Learning a new language is half vocabulary and half confused mumbling.

Cozy vocabulary in Finnish

Translated from @malteseboy‘s original post and added a few words! Suudelma – kiss Elokuva – movie Villapaita – sweater Tyyny – pillow Kahvi – coffee Villasukat – woolly socks Kirja – book Mukavuus – comfort Peitto – blanket Päiväuni – nap Tuli – fire Takka – fireplace Kissa – cat Lämpö – warmth Tähdet – stars Tee – tea Halaus – hug Kynttilä – candle Sade – rain Lumi – snow  Koti – home  Kahvila – coffee shop Sauna – sauna Löyly –  the steam that rises from the sauna stove; the heat of the sauna  Mökki - cottage  Pehmeä – soft Hauras – delicate Makea – sweet Mukava – comfortable, cozy Lämmin  – warm Kotoisa – homely, cozy   Suudella – to kiss Halata – to hug Halailla – to cuddle Huolehtia – to take care (of smb.) Makoilla – to lie down Lukea – to read Nukkua – to sleep Levätä – to rest Rentoutua – to relax Saunoa – to bathe in sauna Mökkeillä – to be at the cottage 

VERY USEFUl... well for me anyway with all the job and flat search !!

Etunimi: ——————————First Name Sukinimi:——————————Last Name Syntymäaika:————————-Birth Date Henkilotunnus:————————Identity No. Pituus:——————————–Length/Height Sivillisääty:—————————Maraital Status Naimaton:—————————-Single Naimisissa:—————————Married eronnut:——————————Divorced Leski:———————————Widow Sukupuoli:—————————-Gender Nainen: ——————————-Female Mies:———————————-Male Lähiosoite:—————————–Current Address Postinumero:—————————Postal Code Matkapuhelin:————————-Mobile no. Kansallisuus:—————————Nationality Sähköpostiosoite:———————-E-mail address Koulutus:——————————Education Kansakoulu:—————————Elementary School Keskikoulu:—————————-Middle School peruskoulu:—————————Comprehensive School ylioppilastutkinto:———————Matriculation jatkokoulutus:————————-Further Education Tutkinto:——————————qualification Keilitaito: —————————–Language Skills Aidinkeili:—————————–mothertongue kiitettävä/erinomainen:—————Excellent tyydyttävä:—————————Satisfactory välttävä:——————————Tolerable;Adequate ajokortti:——————————Driving Liscense Työkokemus: ————————-Working Experince Työnantaja:—————————-Employer tehtävä:——————————–Function;task; Alkupaiva:——————————Start date Loppupaiva:—————————-Finished Date Erityispätevyys:————————Special Qualification ensiapu:——————————–First Aid järjestysmies:—————————Peace officer;Bouncer kiinteistöautomaatio:——————-Building Automation System tulityökortti:—————————- hot work card Työturvallisuuskortti:——————-Occupational Safety Card Lisatiedot:——————————-Additional Information Toimala:——————————–Line of Business Työtehtavien Vaatimustaso:————-Working Standard Harjoittelija:—————————–Student Learner Ammattitehtävä:————————Professional/skilled worker Toimipiste:——————————Agency;Office Kuvaus:———————————description Taito:————————————Skills Yhteyshelkilo:—————————Contact Man Työ alkaa :——————————Work Starts Työaika :——————————–Working Time Työn kesto :—————————–Working Duration Vakituinent:—————————–Regular/Permanent lyhytaikainen :—————————Short term/temporary vuorotyö:——————————–Shift Work Määräaikainen:————————–Fixed Period/held at regular interval Allekirjoitus:—————————–Signature

Vastaan

In this post, there was some confusion about this one little word, and I thought why not expand on it. This adverb is surprisingly interesting, and teaches me to take a look at what learners think of my language. I never even thought about this word in any deeper way until now.

So. Vastaan as such can have several different meanings:

((( I answer - which has nothing to do with this post, the first person singular of vastata just happens to look the same. )))

Against. For example: Olen huumeita vastaan. I am against drugs. Siinä oteltiin mies miestä vastaan. There was a fight man against man. Hänellä on jotakin minua vastaan. He/she has something against me. Tämä lääke toimii flunssaa vastaan. This medication works against the flu. Miehellä ei ollut mitään ehdotustani vastaan. The man has nothing against my suggestion. Kolme yhtä vastaan. Three against one.

Towards. Well, the direct translation of towards would be kohti. Vastaan is similar kind of movement, but it has a nuance of meeting in it. It’s more like two or more things/people moving towards each other with the intention to meet somewhere in the middle. For example: Lähden sinua vastaan. I’ll come meet you. This is with the connotation that the I in the sentence is waiting for the you, perhaps the “you” doesn’t know where “I” lives exactly, so “I” has to come and show the way. If it’s raining and your spouse is walking home, you might say Tulen sinua vastaan sateenvarjon kanssa, I’ll come meet you with an umbrella. There’s also the word vastatuuli which means a wind that is blowing against you, from the direction where you’re going to. Also in the mentioned vastaanottaa - to receive, literally to take something that is coming towrds you.

As an answer or returning a gesture. For example: Minä hymyilin ja hän hymyili vastaan. I smiled and she/he smiled back to me.

In case of something, to avoid something. For example: Sairastumista vastaan annetaan rokote. A vaccination is given to prevent the decease.

In sentences that tell about two surfaces or lines or objects touching with an angle. For example: Kohtisuoraan toisiaan vastaan olevat pinnat. Surfaces plumb (to?) each other (okay, never seen or heard that word anywhere before, are there any better translations that someone actually uses? I have no idea how to say kohtisuoraan. Straight on? Apparently plumb is “truly vertical”…).

In direction of something, towards some direction. For example: Suomen raja Ruotsia vastaan. Finland’s border to Sweden. Also in compound word Ruotsin-vastainen raja, Swedish border.

When exchanging something, as a pawn, or a payment. For example: Saat juoman tätä lippua vastaan. You’ll get a drink in exchange of this ticket. Saanko uuden kuittia vastaan? Can I have a new one for I have the receit? Sain sohvan vaihdossa kirjahyllyä vastaan. I got a sofa in exchange for a bookshelf.

Whew. Never realized how many different uses that one has! Also, this in no way covers everything. There’s a ton of compuond words, there’s at least on verb that has to do with the same word root etc etc.

Partial source: Nykysuomen perussanakirja S-Ö.

Joka

Joka is a way of joining two ideas together in the one sentence and is used in place of the English words “who”, “that”, “which”. 

However joka needs to be altered to agree with situation, both in terms of singular versus plural, and also the form of the word.

How to form joka in different cases:  1. For singular remove -ka and add the ending. 2. For plural remove -ka and add i and then the ending. 

Unfortunately nominative and genitive are exceptions, so just learn these separately.

                            Sing.          Plural

Nominative         Joka           Jotka Genitive              Jonka         Joiden  Partitive              Jota            Joita Inessive              Jossa         Joissa Elative                Josta          Joista

Examples

Singular/Basic  Poika, joka saapui eilen, on minun ystäväni.  The boy, who came yesterday, is my friend. 

Plural/Basic Pojat, jotka saapuivat eilen, ovat minun ystäviäni.  The boys, who came yesterday, are my friends. 

Singular/Genitive Tyttö, jonka nimi on Hanna, tulee huomenna.  The girl, whose name is Hanna, comes tomorrow.

Plural/Genitive Tytöt, joiden nimet ovat Hanna ja Jenni, tulevat huomenna.  The girls, whose names are Hanna and Jenni, come tomorrow.

Singular/Inessive Kaupunki, jossa minä tapasin sinut, on kaunis. The city, where I met you, is beautiful.

Lastly, joka (short for jokainen) can be used to mean “every”, such as  joka päivä - every day joka maassa - in every country 

PRIDE MONTH FINNISH VOCABULARY 🏳️‍🌈

• homo: gay

• lesbo: lesbian

• biseksuaali: bisexual

• transsukupuolinen: transgender

• muunsukupuolinen: non binary

• sukupuoli: gender

• hlbt: lgbt

• homoavioliitto: gay marriage

• sateenkaarilippu: pride flag

• sateenkaari: rainbow

• tyttöystävä: girlfriend

• poikaystävä: boyfriend

• pusu: kiss

—

EXAMPLES!

1. mä oon muunsukupuolinen lesbo. (I am a non binary lesbian.)

2. mun tyttöystävä antoi minulle pusuun. (my girlfriend gave me a kiss.)

3. mulla on sateenkaarilippu. (I have a rainbow flag.)

—

I DON’T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS DONE THIS ALREADY BUT. HAPPY PRIDE!! HYVÄÄ PRIDEA!! 🌈 🏳️‍🌈

FEEL FREE TO ADD ON!!

all 4 skills with consistency

I’m going to do these things 5 days a week for at least 5 weeks and see what happens. This way I can develop all four areas of language in combination.

writing - I’ll write at least 100 words of something in Finnish. This can be for stories, essays, journal entries, or random sentences. Then I’ll read it aloud.

reading - I’ll either read for fun in Finnish for 30 minutes, or choose a simple news article to read and translate.

speaking - I’ll speak aloud to myself in Finnish for ten minutes, describing and commenting on what I just read.

hearing - I’ll listen to a short (few minutes) audio clip or video in Finnish and try to understand what I’m hearing. Then I’ll transcribe it as accurately as I can, and finally I’ll try to say it all aloud in sync with the audio, focusing on proper pronunciation and intonation.

learning new languages be like

Hello! Back at it with a new langblr challenge! This challenge is called Langblr Diary Challenge and the purpose of it is to improve your language skills by writing a diary! To participate in this challenge you have to keep a diary in your target language for one month (29-31 days). If you want, you can post (a picture of) your diary entry and ask for corrections for native speakers. Alternatively you can just write a brief summary of what you wrote, how many words/sentences you wrote, what new words and/or grammatical structures did you learn, etc. If you do, please tag your post as #langblrdiarychallenge so that I and others can see what you’ve done and get inspired as well!

Good luck!

Ps. If you get tired of writing about your day over and over again google some writing prompts!

The First Infinitive

I don’t why I haven’t studied this before! It’s right here on the Finnish Teacher website. But anyway, I came across “muistaakseni” in a YouTube video, and wanted to learn about this form… and it seems SO HANDY.

How To Form

Basic form of verb + kse + possessive ending, such as

syödä + kse + ni = syödäkseni  muistaa + kse + si = muistaaksesi  laihduttaa + kse + en = laiduttaakseen löytää + kse + mme = löytääksemme yne.

The result is some amazingly handy phrases: 

Muistaakseni - As far I can remember Tietääkseni - As far as I know Ymmärtääkseni - As far as I understand  Nähdäkseni - As far as I can see (metaphorically see, same as English)

How to Use

Then in general this is used to explain WHY you are doing something.

Minä puhun suomea kotona oppiakseni nopeasti. - I am speaking Finnish at home in order to learn quickly.

Hän juoksee joka päivä laihduttaakseen. - He runs every day in order to lose weight.

Mennään kouluun aikaisin huomenna puhuaksemme opettajan kanssa. - Let’s go to school earlier in order to speak with the teacher.  

I just made up those example sentence, so sorry if there are mistakes!!