Have you ever considered using YouTube to take your Finnish learning to the next level? Chances are you’re already spending some time on the site (YouTube is the second most visited website after Google, after all), so why not combine pleasure with learning by watching a few videos in Finnish?
Whether you’re in the mood for something educational or silly, there are so many great Finnish YouTube channels out there with interesting content—trust us, you won’t run out of things to watch anytime soon! And since most YouTube videos tend to be short and sweet, watching a bit here and there is something that you can easily fit into a busy schedule.
Table of Contents
- Learning Finnish Using FinnishPod101 and YouTube
- Warner Music Finland
- Filminurkka
- Suomen Stand Up Club
- Lasten Uutiset
- Visit Finland
- K-Ruoka
- Sinä osaat! Suomen kieltä kaikille
- Finnished
- Learn Finnish with Finking Cap
- FinnishPod101
- Lopuksi
1. Learning Finnish Using FinnishPod101 and YouTube
Listening practice is one of the cornerstones of language learning, and you’ll quickly notice that the more you watch and listen to videos in Finnish, the faster you pick up the rhythm of the language—not to mention all the vocabulary you’ll learn. In fact, watching video content featuring native Finns could be the next best thing after actual interactions with Finnish people. And best of all, you can watch YouTube right from the comfort of your home!
The sheer number of videos and channels on YouTube can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start looking. Fret not: we’ve done some of the legwork for you by picking ten of the best Finnish language YouTube channels for language learners. We’ve covered several channels aimed specifically at language learners (including our very own FinnishPod101 YouTube channel) as well as a range of other channels featuring music, comedy, travel, politics, and much more.
2. Warner Music Finland
Category: Music
Level: All
Listening to music is a highly enjoyable way to immerse yourself in a new language, whether you’re a complete beginner or an advanced learner.
If you’re looking for popular Finnish songs, YouTube has no better destination than Warner Music Finland. You’ll find many of today’s most popular Finnish artists on Warner Music Finland, and new content is uploaded on a regular basis for your listening pleasure. This channel caters mainly for fans of Finnish pop music, but keep your eye out for rap and rock artists too. And if you really like a specific artist, such as Jenni Vartiainen or Antti Tuisku, you’ll find links to their individual channels here, as well.
Make sure to watch for lyriikkavideot (“lyric videos”) while on the channel. These are especially helpful for Finnish learners since you can look at the lyrics while you’re listening to them. We recommend singing (or just humming) along to the best of your ability; studies show that it can really enhance your language learning!
- Fancy chatting about music in Finnish? Check out our music-related vocabulary list on FinnishPod101.com.
3. Filminurkka
Category: Films
Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Attention, film buffs! Filminurkka is the place to go if you want to combine your passion for the big screen with Finnish learning. Here you’ll find weekly videos discussing the latest blockbusters, videos documenting Finnish film festivals (e.g. Sodankylän Elokuvajuhlat and Rakkautta ja Anarkiaa), and interviews with top Finnish actors. This may just be the best place to find commentary and discussion about Finnish movies on YouTube!
The only subtitles you’ll see are the Finnish ones provided for trailers in other languages, so the content is best suited to intermediate and advanced learners.
- Let’s talk about cinema! Head to Enjoying the Cannes Film Festival vocabulary list to get started.
4. Suomen Stand Up Club
Category: Comedy
Level: Intermediate & Advanced
If comedy is your thing, you’ll find hours of laugh-out-loud performances by talented Finnish stand-up comedians (including the internationally celebrated Ismo Leikola) on Suomen Stand Up Club. Besides laughs, the material also provides a glimpse into Finnish culture and mentality—and of course, a fabulous opportunity to practice your listening skills.
No subtitles are provided, so the content won’t be easy for beginners to follow. However, if you’re looking for something more challenging to listen to, or want to get more used to spoken Finnish, this is the perfect channel for you.
5. Lasten Uutiset
Category: News, Culture, Science, Politics
Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Lasten Uutiset (“Children’s News”) is aimed at “children who want to know” (lapsille, jotka haluavat tietää). The channel also happens to be a brilliant resource for inquisitive and curious Finnish learners of all ages! Here, you’ll find weekly videos discussing recent news as well as a range of videos on topics such as science, politics, and culture.
Because the channel is geared toward kids, the language doesn’t get very complicated or technical. Still, it’s a fantastic way to pick up topical vocabulary. And while there are no subtitles, key phrases do appear as text in the videos.
- Learning the Finnish words for school subjects could come in handy while watching this channel!
6. Visit Finland
Category: Travel & Culture
Level: All
Visit Finland is not just a channel for travelers aspiring to spend some time in Finland. Yes, you’ll find plenty of inspiration here for a future trip or two to this lovely country, but the channel also provides fascinating insights into Finnish culture.
From a language-learning point of view, you’ll definitely want to check out the videos where Finns from diverse backgrounds talk about their lives—head straight to the Symphony of Extremes and Finnish People playlists. Using English subtitles will help you with comprehension while you get used to hearing dialects from different parts of Finland.
- On the topic of travel, how is your vocabulary? Check out our word lists for basic travel and preparing for travel in Finnish.
7. K-Ruoka
Category: Cuisine
Level: Intermediate & Advanced
Cooking can be a really fun way to make Finnish a part of your daily life. Try it for yourself; follow a recipe in Finnish and see just how quickly you pick up key vocabulary related to cooking and food.
Whether you like your meals vegetarian or meaty (or if you’re craving something sweet), there’s a playlist with exciting recipes for you to try on the Finnish food YouTube channel K-Ruoka. Not sure what you fancy? Start with the Mitä tänään syötäisiin? (“What shall we eat today?”) playlist.
No subtitles are provided, but you can work out a lot by just watching as each ingredient and step is shown. You can also find the recipes on the K-Ruoka website if you want to see the written versions in Finnish.
8. Sinä osaat! Suomen kieltä kaikille
Category: Language
Level: Beginner & Intermediate
Sinä Osaat! Suomen kieltä kaikille (“You can do it! Finnish language for everyone”), hosted by a Finnish teacher named Jenni, is a great source of Finnish lessons on YouTube. We highly recommend this channel for beginners and intermediate level learners looking to take their language skills to the next level.
If you’ve just started learning Finnish, head to the Suomen kielen alkeet (Basic Finnish) playlist with English subtitles, and if you’re a bit further along in your studies, you might want to watch Jenni’s videos on Finnish verbs and grammatical cases.
9. Finnished
Category: Language
Level: Everyone
The idea behind the Finnished YouTube channel is simple: The more you listen to the Finnish (or any other) language, the more you begin to “just get it.” The emphasis is completely on developing a solid intuitive understanding of the language through repeated exposure to common vocabulary and grammar structures.
The Finnish you’ll hear on Finnished is spoken Finnish rather than standard written Finnish. The speech is slow (super-slow in absolute beginner videos!), and there are subtitles in Finnish as well as English to make it as easy as possible for viewers to understand the content.
10. Learn Finnish with Finking Cap
Category: Language
Level: Beginner & Intermediate
We haven’t forgotten about you grammar enthusiasts, either—Finking Cap is for you! Emmi’s bite-sized lessons (all you need is one to five minutes per video) discuss Finnish grammar in a straightforward and easy-to-digest way. Everything is explained in English, so you can benefit from Finking Cap’s friendly introductions to topics like vowel harmony and the partitive as soon as you feel ready to dive into Finnish grammar.
11. FinnishPod101
Category: Language
Level: Everyone
Last but not least, we’re proud to introduce the FinnishPod101 YouTube channel. You’ll find an unrivalled range of Finnish learning content on our channel, from listening practice and language learning tips to essential grammar and vocabulary.
Our videos are compiled into handy playlists so that you can easily find whichever topic you’re after, at the correct level for you. Try our short and sweet Finnish in 3 minutes videos if you’re in a hurry, or join us on our epic 24/7 lesson stream if you’ve got some time to spare. We’re constantly uploading fresh content, so be sure to click that subscribe button to get notified of new videos!
12. Lopuksi
In this round-up, we’ve given you a brief tour of some of the best YouTube channels for Finnish learners in a variety of categories, from stand-up comedy to cookery. Whatever your level of Finnish, we hope that you’ve found something here that gets you really excited about practicing your listening skills.
While our YouTube channel is full of free content, you’ll find even more free resources on our website. In particular, we recommend our vocabulary lists (here’s one for Talking about YouTube!) to the Ultimate Finnish Pronunciation Guide, so be sure to take a moment to explore everything we have to offer.
Which Finnish YouTube channel interests you the most? Have we left out your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
