Learn to speak Finnish!

[C.]

Since quite a few people from the old NW forum are making a home here now, I thought I'd reopen a popular topic, which was the "Learning Finnish" topic. Hopefully, if Enigma doesn't mind, he will help us keep up on our Finnish lessons, as he did over at NW forum. Anyone else who has exceptional Finnish-speaking skills is also welcome to contribute. Sadly, as the old forum is now deleted, I have forgotten what I've learned there, so I guess we will start from the beginning.

Let's learn the basics, such as "my name is..." and "hello, how do you do?"

If anyone has any other Finnish words/phrases they would like to learn, this is the topic for just these things!

 

[St Enigma]

OK, fortunately I had saved these links to useful webpages on my HD. They were collected about two years ago for Finnish learners by me and some members of the official Nightwish board. I dug them out in the depths of my HDD stack for you all to get started. Have fun learning Finnish!




Overview to Finnish langauge

The Finnish language by Jukka Korpela

--- Jukka Korpela: Chapter 1. A short introduction to the Finnish language



Finnish Grammar & excercises

Suomen kielioppi * The Finnish Grammar in Finnish, English and German. The whole site is available also in downloadable zip-files.

Tavataan taas * - inroduction to Finnish language and Finland.

Uuno * , language learning material for beginners and exchange students.

Supisuomea * . Including vocabularies Finnish - English, - Francais, - Deutsch, - Russki, - Svenska, - af Somali. [Site no more updated]




Pronounciation

Finnish names pronounced * with audio examples

Mikropuhe Live * the Finnish pronouncing synthesizer.
Type any word or sentence to replace the text in the bubble and and click "Puhu" to listen to how it's pronounced according to Finnish pronounciation rules.






Finnish Tutorials

Finnish Tutorial

Finnish for Beginners

Discussion board



Special:

Learn old written Finnish

The Finnish National Epic "Kalevala" in English






These links should keep you busy for a while


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[C.]

Kiitos!

 

[pere]

In case anyone wants to have a dose of spoken Finnish and a glimpse of our cultural peculiarities: stream from the traditional Independence Day reception at the Presidential Palace, Helsinki http://yle.fi/linnanjuhlat/2011/ (going on right now live and continuing for a few hours)

 

[C.]

Happy Independence Day to the Finns!

 

[nettitaikatalvi]

Guys, can sb translate TAIKATALVI ;( i bet the lyrics are awesome but i can't understand a word

 

[St Enigma]

I posted my translation of Taikatalvi on the Imaginarium Opinions thread here a few weeks ago already when we discussed about the song, but maybe they are hard to find there.

Since this is the Learn Finnish thread, maybe it doesn't hurt to copy the Taikatalvi lyrics here with my translation. Buuuut, maybe it'll be a good idea not to try singing in English using my translated lyrics, the rhymes will definitely not fit to the music


Taikatalvi

Lapsistain rakkain tää näyttämö on
Mis kuutamo kujillaan kulkee
Taipunut havu, kesä hoivassa sen
Valkomeren niin aavan
Joka aavekuun siivin
Saapuu mut kotiin noutamaan

Päällä talvisen maan hetki kuin ikuisuus
Mi pienen kissan jaloin luokseni hiipii
Tääl tarinain lähteellä asua saan mis
Viulu valtavan kaihon
Ikisäveltään maalaa
Laulullaan herättää maan


Of my children the dearest this stage is
Where moonlight walks on the alleys
A bent spruce twig, summer nursed by the
White ocean so vast
Who'll on the ghost-moon's wings
Arrive to take me home

On the wintery land a moment like eternity
Which on a kitten's paws sneaks to me
Here at the spring of tales I may live where
The violin of enormous longing
Paints it's eternal tune
It's song will awaken the land

 

[drinkingtea]

I'm glad this stuff was posted. I signed up for the adult learning thing at the Concordia village this May and...well...I don't know much other than a few swear words in Finnish.

 

[hauta]

I'm glad this stuff was posted. I signed up for the adult learning thing at the Concordia village this May and...well...I don't know much other than a few swear words in Finnish.

I started studying Finnish and it's not that bad I actually like it! Despite my worries, those 15 noun cases are very easy.

 

[C.]

^Tervetuloa!

("Welcome", according to Google translator. Native-speaking Finns, feel free to correct me on this.)

 

[hauta]

^Tervetuloa!

("Welcome", according to Google translator. Native-speaking Finns, feel free to correct me on this.)

Yup, it's Tervetuola
Kiitos paljon

 

[C.]

Kiitos selventää sen minulle! (Thanks for clarifying that for me!)

 

[logchick]

I'm glad this stuff was posted. I signed up for the adult learning thing at the Concordia village this May and...well...I don't know much other than a few swear words in Finnish.

Well you're lucky for even finding a place to study the language, cause I am currently looking into Language Centre's around here in my city; who offer Finnish... and so far no luck

Everything I've seen offered, is either German, Spanish, or French :/

I started studying Finnish and it's not that bad I actually like it!

May I ask where you're studying the language?
Are you learning it on your own, or are you in school studying Finnish?

 

[C.]

Same here; I don't think there's any place that would offer a Finnish-language class around here, and I'd probably be the only student!

There's not even Finnish offered in those Rosetta Stone programs!

 

[logchick]

Finnish is not a popular language I guess
English is a second language to every country, and for us Canadian's- we're given French as a second language that's mandatory to learn in every Elementary School.
Only in University do you have the option of taking Languages as a major, minor, or elective. But yet again... Spanish, German and French seem to be the most popular.

 

[C.]

Maybe we should start a letter-writing campaign to the Rosetta Stone to include a Finnish set! They have Swedish, and I think Danish, but not Finnish! What's up with that?

 

[logchick]

I'm down!

 

[C.]

Loistava! (Excellent!)

 

[Bianca74]

I take my hat off to anyone who wants to study Finnish voluntarily. It's a damn difficult language, and I will never master it.
Says the rantaruottalainen. Rantaruottalainen is a slur for those Finns who's mothertongue is Swedish. Lol.

 

[C.]

That's OK, I'll never master Spanish, despite that I have relatives who speak nothing *but* Spanish and don't know any English at all.

Oh, this is a good place to mention this...with the help of Enigma and Pere, there is now a new section on the OSA site completely dedicated to the translation of the Finnish-language songs (lovingly titled "Beauty of the Beast"). So now the fans have a one-stop spot for finding the English translations without perusing the web for them. I couldn't have done it without their help, and the work they helped put into this was just so remarkable. Kiitos!