Why learn Finnish? Are there any benefits to studying Finnish beyond that lovely sense of accomplishment you get when you master a new skill? There definitely are, and we’re going to discuss no fewer than 10 reasons to start learning Finnish.
To mention just a few, learning Finnish will expose you to a different way of seeing the world, provide opportunities to develop yourself, and open many doors—it might even help keep your brain healthy and make you happier!
Intrigued? Read on to discover even more perks of learning Finnish and whether studying it could be for you.
Will you fall in love with the Finnish language?
Table of Contents
- Gain insights into a fascinating culture.
- Connect and communicate with Finnish people.
- Enjoy Finnish entertainment on a whole new level!
- Have more fun traveling in Finland.
- Live in the happiest country in the world.
- Get a world-class education in Finland.
- Build a successful career in Finland.
- Give your brain a good workout.
- Have a giggle learning funny words and phrases.
- Get in on a secret: Finnish is easier to learn than you think.
- Lopuksi
1. Gain insights into a fascinating culture.
“To have another language is to possess another soul.“
This quote is attributed to Charlemagne—and he may have been on to something. Learning a new language can open our eyes to help us see the world from a different perspective and expose us to new ways of thinking. Language is also the gateway into the heart of a culture, and if you’re fascinated by the land of sauna, sisu, and salmiakki (“salmiak liquorice”), learning Finnish is the most effective and rewarding way to truly understand this unique northern country.
For example, to learn Finnish is to appreciate snow in a whole new way. Finns have come up with quite a few specific terms for different types of snow. There’s the snow that you can mold into a snowman or snowballs (nuoska), the snow that clings to trees (tykky), the snow that covers the ground in a thick layer (hanki), and the snow that whips you in the face when it’s windy outside (tuisku). These are just a few examples, but curiously there is no Finnish term for “to snow.” Finns say sataa lunta (“to rain snow”) instead.
- Did we make you dream of snowy days? Learn some Finnish vocabulary related to winter with FinnishPod101.
2. Connect and communicate with Finnish people.
This is one of the more obvious reasons why you should learn Finnish, but if you have Finnish-speaking family, friends, colleagues, or business partners, learning Finnish can improve your communication with them dramatically. This is true even if you’re interacting with Finns who speak excellent English, because—as we’ve already seen—learning a language makes it easier to understand different perspectives.
But what if you don’t know any Finnish people? Then maybe it’s time to remedy this situation and get to know a few! There’s no better ice-breaker than speaking a bit of Finnish when you meet a Finn, whether in Finland or elsewhere.
3. Enjoy Finnish entertainment on a whole new level!
Whether you’re into music, cinema, TV, or books, Finland has a lot to offer.
Fans of heavy metal and hard rock know Finland for its music scene, which has produced numerous notable bands, from Ajattara to Stam1na. (Did you know that there’s even a heavy metal band—Hevisaurus—that’s specifically geared toward children?!) Nordic Noir aficionados will likewise be well-aware of Finland’s contributions to the genre, including the nail-biting TV series Deadwind and Bordertown as well as crime fiction penned by Antti Tuomainen and Kati Hiekkapelto. Film buffs may already have seen a number of Finnish films, such as Rare Exports and The Man Without a Past.
While it’s entirely possible to rely on subtitles when you watch a film, listen to music without understanding the lyrics, and wait for an English translation to hit the market before reading a book, you’re bound to get a lot more out of Finnish entertainment when you learn some Finnish. Incidentally, reading, watching, or listening to something in Finnish is also an excellent way to speed up your language learning!
- To start, why not learn some Finnish vocabulary for Talking About Books and Going to the Movies?
Understanding the lyrics makes listening to music more meaningful.
4. Have more fun traveling in Finland.
Are you thinking of visiting Finland? If you are, learning some Finnish will make your trip easier, more immersive, and more rewarding. Finding your way around will be much simpler when you can read Finnish on signs and maps, decipher timetables, and ask people for directions. Likewise, you can feel more confident when ordering food, making reservations, and shopping for souvenirs.
Of course, interacting with locals is one of the most fun parts of traveling, and Finns will find it delightful if you speak even a little bit of Finnish. Knowing some Finnish will also help you navigate situations like going to a sauna for the first time. For example, if someone says Lisää löylyä! (“More steam!”), you’ll know that it’s your cue to get out quickly if you’re not ready to get any warmer!
5. Live in the happiest country in the world.
Have you ever considered living abroad? Then you could do a lot worse than choose Finland: In 2020, Finland was ranked the happiest country for the third consecutive year. What exactly makes Finland such a happy place? It could have something to do with the following:
Safety
According to the Global Peace Index, Finland is ranked the 14th safest country in the world. Things that make Finland a safe place include low levels of organized crime, high political stability, and a lack of natural disasters.
Tolerance
Finland is also ranked the 2nd most liberal country in the world. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and equality are all important Finnish values.
Healthy Environment
Finland excels in the Environmental Performance Index as well: The country is ranked the 7th most environmentally friendly country in the world, while air quality and drinking water quality in Finland are the best in the world.
Are you ready to pack your bags and settle in Finland? In order to get a Finnish citizenship, you’ll need to get your hands on a National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI). And of course, you’ll find life in Finland much easier if you can speak Finnish.
- Feeling as happy as a Finn? Express your joy by learning the Top 20 Words for Positive Emotions in Finnish.
Feeling happy
6. Get a world-class education in Finland.
Perhaps you’re not quite ready to move to Finland permanently, but would like to experience living in the country nonetheless. In that case, studying in Finland could be for you!
Finland is a fantastic place for students, featuring one of the best higher education systems in the world and nine universities ranked among the top 3% in the world.
Other perks of studying in Finland include:
English-taught Degrees
Finland offers over 400 English-taught bachelor’s and master’s programs as well as doctoral degree options.
Tuition Fees
If you’re a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) citizen, studying in Finland is free for you! For other international students, course fees range between 5,000 and 18,000 euros per year, but most universities offer scholarships that help cover the fees.
Cost of Living
As a student in Finland, you’ll have access to affordable student housing, cheap meals on campus, and a plethora of generous student discounts, including significantly cheaper travel on public transport across the country.
Career Services
Most Finnish universities offer help with job searching and career planning to international students. A student visa allows one to work part-time and a one-year post-study visa allows graduates to stay in Finland while searching for a job.
Now you may be asking: “Why should I learn Finnish if I can study in English in Finland?” Well, you’ll have access to a wider range of courses if you know Finnish, and it will no doubt look good on your application form. And of course, you’ll also have an easier time throwing yourself into the fun aspects of student life, such as participating in extracurricular activities and making new friends.
- Prepare for student life in Finland by picking up some Essential Vocabulary for Talking About Education. Or if you’re a bad student, check out our Too Cool for School Finnish vocabulary list!
Studying in Finland could be the best experience of your life.
7. Build a successful career in Finland.
Are your student days already behind you? Then working in Finland might appeal to you more. Here are just a few reasons to build a career in Finland:
High Demand for International Labor
Many sectors in Finland are in need of more workers, and international recruits are in high demand in the healthcare and service sectors, for example. Visit the Occupational Barometer to see if your skills are currently sought after in Finland.
Support for Immigrants
New employees from abroad can often access support with integration. Language training is also usually offered by local authorities and/or employers, either for free or at a low cost.
Great Working Conditions
In Finland, employment security is high, and both equality and cooperation at the workplace are considered important. Employers also tend to invest in their employees, and further training and skill development are encouraged.
So what is the best way to secure a job in Finland? To learn Finnish! Almost all jobs in Finland require at least some knowledge of Finnish. However, once you’ve learned Finnish, your native language could be a great asset too, depending on the position!
Remember too that Finland is home to many internationally successful companies, such as Nokia, KONE, and Supercell, and learning Finnish could well give you an advantage in making connections and building business relationships with Finnish companies in your own country as well.
- What’s your dream job? Learn the vocabulary for some of the most popular jobs in Finnish.
Get ahead in your career.
8. Give your brain a good workout.
Want to keep your brain healthy? Then put away that brain training app and learn Finnish instead. Why? Because learning a new language is to your brain what lifting weights is to your muscles. Activities like wrestling with grammar and memorizing vocabulary activate various parts of your brain, and they’re a fantastic way to improve and preserve your cognitive skills. A number of studies have suggested that learning and using a second language has multiple benefits for brain health, including:
Increased Brain Volume
Speaking more than one language has been shown to correlate with denser gray matter that has a higher number of neural connections, which are signs of a healthy, resilient brain.
Greater Cognitive Skills
Learning a new language can improve various cognitive skills, such as concentration, listening, attention span, multi-tasking, problem-solving, and recalling information.
Protection Against Degenerative Diseases
People who actively use a second language are likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later than their monolingual counterparts, and they typically also cope much better with the damage.
Finnish may be known as a challenging language to learn, but that makes studying it an even better brain workout!
Learn Finnish—your brain will thank you for it.
9. Have a giggle learning funny words and phrases.
Here’s a reason to learn Finnish that’s not serious at all: Finnish can be really funny! The language is full of words that are either really fun to say or are so literal that they’re hilarious.
Try saying these words out loud and see if it brings a smile to your face:
- lämpimämpi (“warmer”)
- yökyöpeli (a person who stays up late, literally: “night ghost”)
- herkkukurkku (a type of pickle, literally: “delicacy cucumber”)
- pumpuli (“cotton wool”)
- pöperö (“food,” colloquial)
- töppönen (“bootie”)
- pupu (“bunny”)
If you need help pronouncing any of the words above, take a look at The Only Finnish Pronunciation Guide You’ll Ever Need!
Now see if you can work out what these Finnish compound words refer to based on their literal meaning:
- lentokone (“flight machine”)
- hammasraudat (“tooth irons”)
- huutokauppa (“shout shop”)
- aamuyö (“morning night”)
- tulivuori (“fire mountain”)
- sukkahousut (“sock trousers”)
- rannerengas (“wrist ring”)
- vesinokkaeläin (“water beak animal”)
Finally, there are some pretty incomprehensible sayings in Finnish that might make you laugh. The exclamation Kauhistuksen kanahäkki! (“Chicken cage of terror!”) is definitely one of these gems.
Warning: Learning Finnish might cause bouts of giggling.
10. Get in on a secret: Finnish is easier to learn than you think.
Finnish is often said to be a difficult language to learn. But those who have already learned Finnish could tell you that it’s actually easier than you think in many ways!
For example:
Pronunciation
Learning to pronounce Finnish is a breeze. Finnish is a phonetic language, so there’s an almost perfect correspondence between different sounds and the letters of the alphabet.
Tenses
When studying Finnish, you don’t need to learn a ton of different tenses. In fact, Finnish even does away with the future tense—Finns simply use the present tense when talking about the future.
Grammar
Okay, Finnish grammar is a bit of a beast—but it’s also a very well-behaved beast. In other words, Finnish grammar is usually very logical and there are few exceptions to grammar rules.
11. Lopuksi
In this article, we’ve given you 10 different answers to the question: “Why learn Finnish?”
What do you think, have we convinced you that it’s worth the effort? One thing is for sure: We can’t think of a single downside to learning Finnish!
If you have decided to study Finnish and are wondering where to learn Finnish online, FinnishPod101 has all the resources you’ll need to master the language. Our teaching material covers grammar and vocabulary, and everything in between. Why not get started right away with our free resources? Our mobile app helps you take your Finnish lessons anywhere you go, while a Premium PLUS subscription gives you access to 1-on-1 tutoring with an experienced teacher and personalized learning content to help you get fluent fast.
Happy learning on FinnishPod101.com!
