OT: Trying to learn Finnish

[psycho_dad*]

I can imagine. Sometimes when you really stop and think about how you speak and what rules your language has, makes me think and respect the foreigners who have moved here and learned the language.

Yes and people are different so they learn in different ways. I still know absolutely nothing about the rules in both Finnish and English but graduated from lukio with a 9 average, E and L respectively in the matriculation exam. I just completely failed the "rules" tests (where you actually have to name the rules and break sentences apart and point out all that crap), and aced everything else. In the matriculation exam they don't ask you about rules.

Some people learn by the rules, makes it easier for them to understand the language. Some people (like me) learn in a different way. I was always overwhelmed and not interested at all when it came to the rules of any language.

So everyone needs to find the way that best suits them. If you don't learn by the rules, then you have to listen and read a lot.

Finnish TV is great for that, since there is no dubbing and everything foreign is subtitled. You can hear them say it in english, and you can see it written in Finnish.

 

[FiLe]

what does this mean

It's a word Finns use when they wish to insult everything close to you from your mom to your dog and favorite safety blanket, but want to conserve breath.

Okay, not really. It was simply a slang word essentially meaning "good luck" or "godspeed".




But essentially there is one more baffling aspect in Finnish you should be aware of. We Finns are masters of this thing we call "piilovittuilu", i.e giving really wicked backhanded compliments.

 

[Pay Carl]

Question...

I was looking on a site that I have been using, and they had one phrase "Auto on hopea" and they also wrote "kolikko on hopeaa"

So both mean silver, but why does one have two a's and one only have one? Was it just a typo or is there some rule

 

[Haite]

Question...

I was looking on a site that I have been using, and they had one phrase "Auto on hopea" and they also wrote "kolikko on hopeaa"

So both mean silver, but why does one have two a's and one only have one? Was it just a typo or is there some rule

The first refers to the color of a car and the second to the substance of a coin. "The car is silver-colored" vs. "The coin consists of silver"

 

[Pay Carl]

The first refers to the color of a car and the second to the substance of a coin. "The car is silver-colored" vs. "The coin consists of silver"

Thanks man, thats a huge help

 

[JabbaJabba]

Also how did I do on my first sentences haha

Minun nimeni on Vilhelm. Minä voin hyvin. Minä olen New Hampshire. Asun New Yorkissa. Olen töissä elokuvateatterissa. Suomi on paras.

That's very good! Only one mistake that someone already pointed out. How long have you been studying Finnish? I have a friend's friend who has been studying Finnish like few years and he can't put together a mistake free sentence. Of course, I can understand what he's saying but it's not very nicely expressed.

Finnish can be a tough language to master, be patience with it. I would like to remind you that most Finnish users in HFBoards have been studying English from 2nd or 3rd grade and still make mistakes (although, people learn by making mistakes so you shouldn't be scared of doing them).

 

[Pay Carl]

That's very good! Only one mistake that someone already pointed out. How long have you been studying Finnish? I have a friend's friend who has been studying Finnish like few years and he can't put together a mistake free sentence. Of course, I can understand what he's saying but it's not very nicely expressed.

Finnish can be a tough language to master, be patience with it. I would like to remind you that most Finnish users in HFBoards have been studying English from 2nd or 3rd grade and still make mistakes (although, people learn by making mistakes so you shouldn't be scared of doing them).

I think it has been a week now haha. I have studied a little every day so that is good.

Basically the tools I have available to me limit me to only learning short phrases and sentences, but eventually these can be useful once I recognize the sentence structure and that kind of stuff.

I can say things about age, what color things are, some descriptors, some simple words, etc. Im having fun but it is kind of intimidating haha.

Im sure when you guys learned English you were really confused and thought our sentences just looked like a bunch of scrambled letters, but thats what Finnish looks like to me right now haha

 

[Pay Carl]

Some hot new sentences fresh off the press from Ketch

Jää on valkoinen. Se ei ole muska.
Kiekko on muska. Se ei ole vihreä.
Siniviiva on sininen. Se ei ole keltainen.
Punaviiva on puninen. Se ei ole hopea.
Maila on oranssi. Se ei ole sininen.
Luistiment on hopea. Se ei ole ruskea.

How does he do it...

 

[Joe MacMillan]

Luistiment on hopea. Se ei ole ruskea.

Luistimet ovat hopeat. Ne eivät ole ruskeat.

Also... musta and punainen.

Otherwise the sentences are correct.

 

[Tormentor]

Jää on valkoinen. Se ei ole musta.
Kiekko on musta. Se ei ole vihreä.
Siniviiva on sininen. Se ei ole keltainen.
Punaviiva on punainen. Se ei ole hopeinen.
Maila on oranssi. Se ei ole sininen.
Luistimet ovat hopeiset. Ne eivät ole ruskeat.

Also, the kiekko can actually be vihreä sometimes: Link

 

[Pay Carl]

Thanks guys. Pretty stupid typos on my part but I was trying to do them without looking up the spelling so that's my excuse haha

Why is that last sentence so different from the rest? Just curious so I don't make the same mistake again

Also that vihreä kiekko was pretty funny

 

[JabbaJabba]

Thanks guys. Pretty stupid typos on my part but I was trying to do them without looking up the spelling so that's my excuse haha

Why is that last sentence so different from the rest? Just curious so I don't make the same mistake again

Also that vihreä kiekko was pretty funny

Luistimet is plural (skates) thats why.

 

[Pay Carl]

Duh haha... Thanks Jabba

 

[MurrayCraven24]

Wish I had more free time to learn, but I work full-time so I am progressing much slower that you Ketch! Where are you listening to Finnish talk radio?

 

[Pay Carl]

Wish I had more free time to learn, but I work full-time so I am progressing much slower that you Ketch! Where are you listening to Finnish talk radio?

My laptop using a website. I had to send in my laptop for repairs so I can't tell you the exact site at the moment but I will when I get it back.

I'm a full time student but really I have a lot if free time haha. There are a lot of good iPod apps for learning. I usually do those a couple times a day for half an hour between classes.

You should try that live mocha website. It's pretty useful and you get a lot of feedback from Finnish speakers. Let me know if you do, I could use someone else to practice with haha

 

[MurrayCraven24]

I could use someone else to practice with haha

That may be a while, you are far ahead of me! I am still learning vocabulary. I haven't even attempted putting sentences together!

 

[Pay Carl]

That may be a while, you are far ahead of me! I am still learning vocabulary. I haven't even attempted putting sentences together!

You should really try live mocha then its totally free

 

[sirMcDuck]

You should listen some classic radio channels 'coz they don't most likely speak any slang-finnish. All the youngsters speak very differently finnish so it can make up some confusion.

Examples:

Minä olen Helsingistä ja olen asunut täällä koko elämäni
I'am from Helsinki and I have lived here all of my life
"slang": Mä olen Stadista ja oon asunu tääl koko mun elämän.

Pidän jääkiekosta todella paljon ja olen myös pelannut jääkiekkoa nuoruudessani. Jääkiekko on minulle todella tärkeää
I like hockey very much and I have also played hockey when I was young. Hockey is very important to me.
"slang": Pidän lätkäst tosi paljon ja oon myös pelannu lätkää nuorempana. Lätkä on mulle tosi tärkeetä.

Yep, finnish is * hard language.

 

[Jussi]

You should listen some classic radio channels 'coz they don't most likely speak any slang-finnish. All the youngsters speak very differently finnish so it can make up some confusion.

Examples:

Minä olen Helsingistä ja olen asunut täällä koko elämäni
I'am from Helsinki and I have lived here all of my life
"slang": Mä olen Stadista ja oon asunu tääl koko mun elämän.

Pidän jääkiekosta todella paljon ja olen myös pelannut jääkiekkoa nuoruudessani. Jääkiekko on minulle todella tärkeää
I like hockey very much and I have also played hockey when I was young. Hockey is very important to me.
"slang": Pidän lätkäst tosi paljon ja oon myös pelannu lätkää nuorempana. Lätkä on mulle tosi tärkeetä.

Yep, finnish is * hard language.

Common aspect in all the local dialects of Finnish is that words are shortened, often letters being dropped from the end of words. Most common aspect is how "I" goes from "minä" to "mä" or "mää", depending on which part of Finland you're from.

 

[Shadowthrone]

Mina olen Juntti

 

[Jussi]

Mina olen Juntti

Not arguing that.

 

[Shadowthrone]

Not arguing that.

Learned that word in Finland from a punk rock band I was touring with quite a while ago. Found this so funny

And well, I'm living in the country now

 

[Misfire Puck]

Common aspect in all the local dialects of Finnish is that words are shortened, often letters being dropped from the end of words. Most common aspect is how "I" goes from "minä" to "mä" or "mää", depending on which part of Finland you're from.

Or "mie"

 

[AngeFIN]

kiitos ystävät

Some more hockey words:
kaukalo = rink
siniviiva = blue line
punaviiva = red line
aloitus = faceoff
päätuomari = referee
linjatuomari = linesman
päävalmentaja = head coach
apuvalmentaja = assistant coach
(vara)kapteeni = (alternate) captain

Maali = goal
Rannelaukaus / rannari (slang) = wrist shot
Lyöntilaukaus / lämäri (slang) = slapshot
Paitsio = offside
Pitkä kiekko / pitkä (short) = icing
Taklaus = tackle
Jäähy = penalty
Rangaistuslaukaus / rankkari (slang) = penalty shot
Maila = stick
Luistimet = skates
Kypärä = helmet
Laitataklaus = boarding
Väkivaltaisuus = roughing
Korkea maila = high stick
Kampitus = tripping
Joukkue = team
Vierasjoukkue = visitor
Kotijoukkue = home team

Some more:

Ylivoima (YV) = powerplay (PP)
Alivoima (AV) = penalty kill (PK)
Syöttö = Assist, pass
Kiekko = puck
Torjunta = Save
Tappelu = Fight
Vasen laitahyökkääjä / Vasen laita/laituri (short) = Left winger
Oikea laitahyökkääjä / Oikea laita/laituri (short) = Right winger
Keskushyökkääjä / Sentteri (slang) = Center
Puolustaja / Pakki (slang) = Defenceman
Maalivahti / Molari, Moke (slang) = goalie
Erä = period
Jatkoaika = overtime
Peli / matsi (slang) = game, match
Vihellys = Whistle
Voitto = Win
Häviö = Loss
Tasapeli / tasuri (slang) = Draw

 

[QnebO]

Common aspect in all the local dialects of Finnish is that words are shortened, often letters being dropped from the end of words. Most common aspect is how "I" goes from "minä" to "mä" or "mää", depending on which part of Finland you're from.

This, but in Savo, they also add extra letters (like me = myö) and change words in letters (mennäänkö = männäänkö?), sometimes use words that do not exist in other dialects (melekutin).. And to choose the right words you actually must have understood the sense of humour it is used in savo.. Then you can ask from the traffic controller before hockey game like this "Minnekkä minä tämän aaton tyrkkeen?" instead of (Mihin sopii parkkiin?)

But that's, along with stading slangi, better to learn after you handle some of the basic stuff.