So, you’re heading for Finland to travel or work. Awesome! You’re in for an amazing adventure! It’s a beautiful country, steeped in a rich culture that may be very unlike your own.
However, showing respect to the locals is a big deal in every country around the world. A respectful manner and attitude could open doors for you that would otherwise remain mystifyingly closed. Aside from just knowing ‘Thank you’ in Finnish, greeting someone correctly in Finnish could incline a local to treat you more favorably than otherwise! So, the clever thing to do would be to learn Finnish greetings before you embark on your journey. Finnish greetings are different from other languages and probably not what you’d expect. But if learning how to say ‘Hello!’ in Finnish in easy and fun ways is important to you, you’ve come to the right place at FinnishPod101.
The focus of this lesson is greetings in Finnish
Topic 1: How to say “Hello”
Sentence from the lesson:
Hei
“Hello (Informal)”
Hei means “Hi” or “Hello.” We can use this greeting with friends or relatives, but also with people we don’t know.
The formal way of greeting people is Hyvää päivää! Literally, hyvää päivää means “Good day.” As a rule of thumb we can use hyvää päivää only during the daytime—from noon until early evening.
During the evening we say: Hyvää iltaa! Ilta is Finnish for “evening,” so hyvää iltaa means “good evening.” Hyvää päivää and hyvää iltaa are used when we meet someone, but when we leave we don’t say these greetings again.
For Example:
Hyvää päivää!
“Good day (formal)”
Topic 2: How to say “Good-bye”
Sentence from the lesson:
Hei hei
“Good-bye (informal)”
When leaving a formal occasion, Finnish people say: Näkemiin. In Finnish we have an expression meaning “See you soon” that can be considered both formal and informal: Nähdään pian!
Language Tip!
In formal situations, Finnish people commonly greet each other by shaking hands. However, if we meet someone we are very friendly with, we hug each other. Don’t be afraid to do it with your Finnish friends—it’s normal!
2. Common Ways to Say Hello in Finnish
Standing at the airport in a foreign country for the first time can be a somewhat scary experience for anyone, especially if you need assistance. However, don’t worry – at FinnishPod101 we teach you how to quickly get a local’s attention with friendly, correct Finnish greetings! You are more likely to get helped this way.
Here is our Finnish greetings list of all the general ways to address a person upon meeting. It is tailored for formal and informal situations.
1- Good morning.
Hyvää huomenta.
‘Good morning’ in Finnish is acceptable any time between approximately 5:30am and 12:00pm, when the day is still young. And smile – it’s the universal ice-breaker!
2- Good evening
Hyvää iltaa.
This greeting is one you would use casually when night begins to fall. Address your friends, close family or close acquaintances, and those who are not your superiors, with this phrase.
3- How are you?
Miten voit?
Show your friendly interest in another person’s well-being by asking this question. This is the casual greeting form that you would use with your friends and family. For the sake of the friendship, it would be good to listen carefully to the answer! It shows caring and selflessness on your part.
4- How have you been?
Miten voit?
This is a good question to ask someone you have not seen for a while. The inference is that some catching-up is needed!
5- What’s up?
Miten menee?
An universally informal and energetic way to greet your friends or equals! Literally, it means ‘What’s going on in your life?’, yet often no answer is expected. It’s just a greeting! Crazy, right?!
6- Long time no see.
Pitkästä aikaa.
This phrase means is another greeting comment that means “I have not seen you for a while!” Often, no response is expected, except to reciprocate.
7- Hey!
Hei!
This is a friendly exclamation to greet your friends or equals with. Reserve its use more for people you see regularly!
8- Good afternoon.
Hyvää iltapäivää
‘Good afternoon’ in Finnish is an informal greeting and is used during the second part of the day. The appropriate period falls, in most cultures, from 12:00am till sunset.
9- How’s it going?
Miten menee?
This greeting phrase basically means the same as ‘How are things progressing?’, ‘How are things going in your life?’ or even ‘What’s up?’ Depending on the friendship, a lengthy answer is not always expected.
10- It’s nice to see you again.
On mukava nähdä taas.
This friendly, welcoming phrase is best used after greeting someone you have not seen for a while. If you mean it, you will make the person feel special! This is a good thing to say to make someone feel welcome in Finnish.
11- How’s everything?
Mitä kuuluu?
This is a variation of ‘How’s it going?’ Use casually with your equals or close acquaintances.
12- How’s your day?
Miten päiväsi sujuu?
Ask this when you’re speaking to your Finnish friend during the day. It’s a friendly phrase to start a conversation with.
13- Yo!
Yo!
Yo! is English slang and a universal greeting popular among young men of most nationalities. Rather don’t answer the phone with this, unless you know your caller well!
14- Hello!
Hei!
Suitable for use in most settings, situations and persons, this is an important Finnish greeting to know. Be sure to master this word first at FinnishPod101!
15- It’s nice to meet you.
Mukava tavata sinut.
When meeting someone for the first time, this is a polite and friendly way to welcome them. It means you are happy to make their acquaintance.
3. Why Should You Choose FinnishPod101 To Learn How To Greet In Finnish?
Online learning systems abound, and it’s not easy to know which one will suit your needs best. This means you have to be careful and select a system with a good reputation, and that has proven longevity. FinnishPod101, which is part of InnovativeLearning.com, ticks all the boxes! With millions of lesson downloads and over a decade of teaching, we can say with confidence that this is one of the best language learning systems on the web. Why is it such an excellent system? Let us count the ways…
1- Video Presentations with Native Speakers
Friendly native Finnish speakers guide you step-by-step through the process of learning vocabulary, phrases and much more. They demonstrate correct pronunciation and emphasis of the words, so as to ensure that you speak like a native when you’re done! Watching the enthusiastic tutors makes not only for a pleasant and more personal experience – it also allows you to copy mouth and lip movements. It’s like learning from your own Finnish friend in your own home!
2- Superb Flexibility with 24/7 Access to Learning Material – Anywhere and on Any Device connected to the Internet!
PC, Android, iPhone, iPad, laptop, even TV – whatever device you prefer! Go online with our FREE app to do your lessons, no matter where you are or which device you are using. All you need is a good internet connection to log on and learn to speak Finnish at your own pace, in your own place!
3- Pronunciation Tool Ensures You Really Speak Finnish!
In any language, correct pronunciation is often crucial. The nuances in language require this, or you could find yourself saying things you don’t mean. You will find our Pronunciation Tool invaluable to wrap your mouth around the correct way to greet in Finnish!
4- Our Content is Always New and Dynamic
Every week, new audio and video lessons are uploaded, so as to keep our promise that learning Finnish with FinnishPod101 is always fun and exciting! In addition, you will get access to bonus material and basic Finnish phrases. These are a fantastic way to build your comprehension and speaking skills!
5- Need to Fast Track your Learning? We Have the Solution!
Most learning activities are more fun when you’re not doing them alone. For this reason we developed Premium PLUS, which gives you a personal tutor – 24/7! Also, this way you’re likely to learn to speak Finnish much faster!
So, if our lively Finnish blog is not enough for you, just upgrade to Premium PLUS to get your very own teacher. Personalised goals and lessons based on your needs, assessment of your progress, non-stop feedback and many other super features makes this a very attractive option.
Say ‘Hello’ to a wonderful, exciting way to learn another language, and learn how to say ‘Hello’ in Finnish in no time! You will be very happy you did!
