Online Finnish Language Learning Resources

[Treffie]

I've been thinking of learning Finnish for quite a while now, can you guys recommend any decent language learning sites? I've already asked Eld, but your input would be greatly appreciated. :thumb001:

[Aino]

You could try this one:

http://donnerwetter.kielikeskus.helsinki.fi/FinnishForForeigners/

[Treffie]

^Thanks Aino, that's the same one that Eld and Sally have recommended :thumb001:

[The Ripper]

This site (http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/Finnish.html) might prove useful.

[Blossom]

Some basic knowledge (http://donnerwetter.kielikeskus.helsinki.fi/FinnishForForeigners/parts-index.htm). Though I cant find a proper site to learn this language properly, I think I'll buy a book on my own.



OOPS! Just relized this site has already been posted! :D My apologies!


Give this a try! Just found it! (http://mylanguages.org/learn_finnish.php)

[Blossom]

By the way guys, I need some help (DD's not home atm) with this thing.

Possesive Pronouns

my -minun
your - sinun, teidän
his - hänen
her - hänen
our - meidän
their - heidän

Ok. I've completly understood that but...how things change when you say: Ana's book? or Siiri's trousers? I cant find that explanation anywhere.:confused:

[Aino]

Ok. I've completly understood that but...how things change when you say: Ana's book? or Siiri's trousers? I cant find that explanation anywhere.:confused:[/B]

Do you mean how to say 'Ana's book' in Finnish? It is Anan kirja. And 'Siiri's trousers' is Siirin housut. To form the genitive, you add the ending -n after the name.

Some Finnish words and names are subject to consonant gradation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonant_gradation), which means that, for instance, Pekka becomes Pekan in the genitive.

If you a have foreign name that ends in a consonant, you have to add a linking -i- between the name and the ending -n. So 'John's book' is Johnin kirja in Finnish.

[Blossom]

Do you mean how to say 'Ana's book' in Finnish? It is Anan kirja. And 'Siiri's trousers' is Siirin housut. To form the genitive, you add the ending -n after the name.

Some Finnish words and names are subject to consonant gradation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consonant_gradation), which means that, for instance, Pekka becomes Pekan in the genitive.

If you a have foreign name that ends in a consonant, you have to add a linking -i- between the name and the ending -n. So 'John's book' is Johnin kirja in Finnish.

Interesting. So mainly, when we're talking about someone's 'something' we use the name and the 'n' ending (if its not foreign). Mine's not foreign at all in Finland, actually pretty common.:D Lucky one.

Thank you Aino! I'll take my time and understand all that Wikipedia article. Seems complex but I guess I'll can handle it!

[Aino]

Interesting. So mainly, when we're talking about someone's 'something' we use the name and the 'n' ending (if its not foreign). Mine's not foreign at all in Finland, actually pretty common.:D Lucky one.

Yes, exactly. You got it. :thumb001:

I am assuming that Liia is not your real name, but Liia would be easy to put into the genitive as well: Liian (although now it resembles the genitive form of the Finnish word liika, 'too much'. It is consonant gradation at work again, you see. :))


Thank you Aino! I'll take my time and understand all that Wikipedia article. Seems complex but I guess I'll can handle it!

You're welcome. And don't worry about consonant gradation too much at this point. Just add the -n and you will be fine.

If you want to, you could try to remember that the long consonants -pp-, -kk-, and -tt- in the middle of a Finnish name become short when you add the genitive ending -n.

Pekka -> Pekan
Titta -> Titan
Mappe -> Mapen

[Blossom]

You're welcome. And don't worry about consonant gradation too much at this point. Just add the -n and you will be fine.

If you want to, you could try to remember that the long consonants -pp-, -kk-, and -tt- in the middle of a Finnish name become short when you add the genitive ending -n.

Pekka -> Pekan
Titta -> Titan
Mappe -> Mapen


Haha thought so! I've heard that pretty often..I guess its the most general or used rule. But I got to say I hate dialects..it makes me mad, I'm afraid of using too 'textbook' finnish..I got some stuff from my friends like the minä-mä or...minun-mun..but still moo-moi, pff..:D so confusing!

Ouh and thank you for that tip! Useful one!:D Kiitos paljon! Yritän parhaani! (omg?)

[The Ripper]

If all else fails...

YlObmts0ylE

:D

[Blossom]

If all else fails...

YlObmts0ylE

:D

Dämn män...these swedes are evil and crazy.:eek: already saw that time ago, sick. Hahah.

[The Ripper]

Dämn män...these swedes are evil and crazy.:eek: already saw that time ago, sick. Hahah.

Well Swedes seemingly don't need to be as politically correct towards Finns, but I don't mind, its funny as hell. :D

[Blossom]

Well Swedes seemingly don't need to be as politically correct towards Finns, but I don't mind, its funny as hell. :D

The old battle:D vs gayish fruittarit charging LV shopping bags directly from Stockholm, arriving in Helsinki by Viking Line.:D

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z-0lJBu9H3c/TbqJHyMLEOI/AAAAAAAAE7A/OaZucN0Fea0/s1600/P1140030x.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8YpW8ixbFk/TbJNGDu4SpI/AAAAAAAAEzQ/7rf_e0Mbg6I/s1600/DSC00520xx.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U8J_lECj6_Y/TaehpAstrgI/AAAAAAAAExM/5J6KUaeSKTw/s640/DSC_0322.JPG

Alec! Sorry...couldnt help!

[Blossom]

Ok guys, I've been lurking in the Embassy of Finland in Madrid and they gave me this one link about advanced Finnish lessons :) ...I think its pretty useful, check it out!

Understand Finnish (Advanced Course) (http://www2.edu.fi/ymmarrasuomea/)

For spanish speakers, this would be helpful :) no doubt on using it, its from the Real School of Languages (http://www.eoidiomas.com/idiomas/Fines/PaginasFines.html)

There's one more link but I think its useless to post it here since I'm the only one understanding spanish and interested on finnish..so yeah. :)

[Blossom]

Hehe, yeah, this is serious business to me...so here I am back again with new stuff for your studying (your? who? ...I think I'm the only one :( but well, I'll post it here).

YLE helping out lol (http://www.yle.fi/opinportti/supisuomea/)

Finnish for foreigners (http://donnerwetter.kielikeskus.helsinki.fi/FinnishForForeigners/parts-index.htm)

...still lurking! :) aaaand found it!

Finnish verb conjugation (http://www.verbix.com/languages/finnish.shtml)

General Finnish ...check this in case you do understand some finnish already (http://users.jyu.fi/~pamakine/kieli/suomi/)

Short but useful GRAMMAR (http://www.lysator.liu.se/language/Languages/Finnish/Grammar.html)

[Blossom]

Someone could explain me what's this in English? :( ärrr dämn so many new things.


Potential

minä asunen
sinä asunet
hän asunee
me asunemme
te asunette
he asunevat


Potential perfect

minä lienen asunut
sinä lienet asunut
hän lienee asunut
me lienemme asuneet
te lienette asuneet
he lienevät asuneet

[The Ripper]

I'm sure my unprofessional response will only further confuse matters, but I'll give it a go.

The potential form is used to suppose something. If something is probable or likely, you can use the potential.

The sentence given in the example minä asunen = I (will probably) live "

For example: [I]Minä asunen ulkomailla ensi vuonna = "I will probably be living abroad next year"

The lienee -verb works just like the olla-verb in terms of conjugation and function.

Now someone give a better explanation and correct my errors. :D

[Pohjatuuli]

Someone could explain me what's this in English? :( ärrr dämn so many new things.

"Potentiaali", or "potential mood" in English, indicates that the action or occurence that the speaker is talking about is considered likely. So, for example, the sentence "Sinä asut Suomessa" could be translated as "You live in Finland", whereas "Sinä asunet Suomessa" could be translated as "You probably live in Finland".

I wouldn't stress too much about potential though, especially if you are a beginner in studying Finnish. Nowadays potential is quite rarely used (especially in spoken Finnish), since the same effect can be achieved by using words such as "varmaankin" (surely), "todennäköisesti" (probably) et cetera. Even in written language potential sounds a bit old fashioned and even poetic, much like the optative mood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optative_mood#Finnish).

EDIT: Oh, Mr. Hammock was three minutes faster than me.

[Blossom]

So its related to the Conditionals in English?

1st Conditional in English: If you finish your work early, we can go to the cinema.
2nd Conditional in English: If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.
3rd Conditional in English: If you had lent him the money, he wouldhave bought a car.

Or maybe its related to...the might, shall - thinggie? Mmm..so confusing sometimes...when I cant see it in English grammar, damn.

Thank you Riippu, hopefully Eld or Aino or someone else will give their answer aswell.

[Blossom]

"Potentiaali", or "potential mood" in English, indicates that the action or occurence that the speaker is talking about is considered likely. So, for example, the sentence "Sinä asut Suomessa" could be translated as "You live in Finland", whereas "Sinä asunet Suomessa" could be translated as "You probably live in Finland".

I wouldn't stress too much about potential though, especially if you are a beginner in studying Finnish. Nowadays potential is quite rarely used (especially in spoken Finnish), since the same effect can be achieved by using words such as "varmaankin" (surely), "todennäköisesti" (probably) et cetera. Even in written language potential sounds a bit old fashioned and even poetic, much like the optative mood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optative_mood#Finnish).

EDIT: Oh, Mr. Hammock was three minutes faster than me.

Ah ok, I see! So actually there's nothing seemed in English language considered a tense. (?) Mmm...then its unusual to use it...mmm.

May I ask you guys which tenses I should study to...get an average level of Finnish? :D I'm trying my best to do it during 1 year long.

Kiitos paljon for your answer!!!

Check this list and tell me which I'd need to study for sure to be able to talk...mmm like OK.. (http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/Finnish/asua.html)

[Pohjatuuli]

So its related to the Conditionals in English?

1st Conditional in English: If you finish your work early, we can go to the cinema.
2nd Conditional in English: If I won the lottery, I would travel around the world.
3rd Conditional in English: If you had lent him the money, he wouldhave bought a car.

It is indeed related to the conditionals. In English the term for both of them is grammatical mood (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatical_mood), whereas in Finnish the term is "tapaluokka" or "modus". In Finnish, the most commonly used moods are "indikaativi" which is the basic form, "konditionaali" which you seem to know from English already and "imperatiivi" which is used to express commands or requests.


[B]Ah ok, I see! So actually there's nothing seemed in English language considered a tense. (?) Mmm...then its unusual to use it...mmm.

May I ask you guys which tenses I should study to...get an average level of Finnish? :D I'm trying my best to do it during 1 year long.

Kiitos paljon for your answer!!!

Check this list and tell me which I'd need to study for sure to be able to talk...mmm like OK.. (http://www.verbix.com/webverbix/Finnish/asua.html)

First of all, I'm not an expert in this in any way, but from that list I would suggest starting with the grammatical tenses (ie. the verb forms that indicate the time in which the action is occuring) : the present tense, the imperfect tense, the perfect tense and the pluperfect tense. Learning the grammatical tenses in both personal and passive forms, and learning the conditional and imperative moods in addition, would result in being able to speak Finnish in a more than OK way.

Oh, and don't be afraid if you run into difficulties: as a native speaker of Finnish I remember learning the grammatical tenses at somewhere around grades 3-6 in school, and the grammatical moods at grades 7-9. They were most certainly not a piece of cake back then, and especially with some tricky verbs they aren't exactly a piece of cake even now.

And if your brain still starts to hurt, it's perhaps comforting to know that in the past the Finnish grammar was even more complicated :D For example, in the Kalevala there exists a grammatic mood called "eventiivi", which is a combination of both "potentiaali" and "konditionaali". So, for example, "minä kävelleisin" is an example of using the verb in the eventive mood, and it means "I would possibly walk". Now that's efficient, right?

[Blossom]

Ouh thank you for your accurate answer! I think a better idea would be to buy a grammar book...internet is so messy! About the "eventiivi" actually I find it pretty easy since I understand the root..I just translate to any romanic language and I get "eventuality"? So it wouldnt be that difficult..the most difficult thing is that I need the rules of the verb conjugation in every tense...and Internet is not helping..only got to know few tenses (present simple, past simple, past perfect..) but I need the future and the other useful tenses..and its pretty difficult sometimes cuz saw smth about "elative" n some more stuff I really dont understand :( I will try to get a grammar book asap...though its not easy to find them here.

Pretty interesting, addictive and nice enough language, I NEED to study and talk.

[Ants]

Hello all (or whoever is reading this).

Ok, so I have had this plan to start learning Finnish for a few years now, but as I don't need it daily I've just postponed it all the time because of all the other things happening in my life. When I thought about it today, I realized that after this semester it would be the perfect time for me to start this learning process.

So... I know I hate online learning, it just doesn't work on me, I need a book. The question is which book. Could somebody (maybe who studied Finnish) recommend me a good learning book?

Also, it should be available to buy from the net, because I need it here, in Michigan.

[Yaroslav]

Definitely a cool challenge to learn Finnish. There is no reward in learning Finnish, but you can really get your brain working!

[Caismeachd]

I learned quite a bit of it. The best thing is just to speak to someone Finnish to learn quickly. I'm not good at sentences but know around 200 words or so and can count to the thousands in Finnish. I only "studied" it at all for a few months but was able to pick it up pretty quickly because I had an interest in it. Not really so much anymore though.

[Longbowman]

Why Finnish, may I ask? Ancestry? From the Upper Peninsula maybe?

[Caismeachd]

It's just an interesting language.

Anyone can do, One, Uno, Un, two, dos, duex etc

But to learn yksi kaksi kolme nelja viisi kuusi etc is just a nice way to keep the mind active I suppose. Suomea on hyva kiva. Sina olet perse ja mina olen ihana kulta poika.