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Finnish for free
Why learn Finnish?
Finnish is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Finnish is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Finnish is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Finnish belongs to the Uralic family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Estonian or Hungarian.
The 50 most common Finnish words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Finnish sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | olla | OHL-lah | be |
| 2 | ja | yah | and |
| 3 | se | seh | it |
| 4 | ei | ay | not (negation) |
| 5 | joka | YOH-kah | that / which (relative) |
| 6 | että | ET-ta | that (conjunction) |
| 7 | tämä | TA-ma | this |
| 8 | hän | han | he / she |
| 9 | voida | VOY-dah | can |
| 10 | saada | SAH-dah | get |
| 11 | mutta | MOOT-tah | but |
| 12 | kun | koon | when |
| 13 | niin | neen | so |
| 14 | myös | myuhs | also |
| 15 | tulla | TOOL-lah | come |
| 16 | tehdä | TEH-da | do |
| 17 | jos | yohs | if |
| 18 | mikä | MEE-ka | what |
| 19 | vuosi | VWOH-see | year |
| 20 | sanoa | SAH-noh-ah | say |
| 21 | kaikki | KAHYK-kee | all |
| 22 | tietää | TYEH-tah | know |
| 23 | aika | EYE-kah | time |
| 24 | päivä | PYE-vah | day |
| 25 | hyvä | HEW-va | good |
| 26 | suuri | SOO-ree | large |
| 27 | oma | OH-mah | own |
| 28 | me | meh | we |
| 29 | sinä | SEE-na | you |
| 30 | minä | MEE-na | I |
| 31 | he | heh | they |
| 32 | nyt | newt | now |
| 33 | vielä | VYEH-la | yet |
| 34 | jo | yoh | already |
| 35 | mennä | MEN-na | go |
| 36 | nähdä | NAH-da | see |
| 37 | antaa | AHN-tah | give |
| 38 | uusi | OO-see | new |
| 39 | asia | AH-see-ah | thing |
| 40 | ihminen | IH-mee-nen | person |
| 41 | paljon | PAHL-yohn | much |
| 42 | kaksi | KAHK-see | two |
| 43 | ensimmäinen | EN-sim-may-nen | first |
| 44 | haluta | HAH-loo-tah | want |
| 45 | missä | MIS-sa | where |
| 46 | koska | KOHS-kah | because |
| 47 | sitten | SIT-ten | then |
| 48 | siellä | SYEL-la | there |
| 49 | kanssa | KAHNS-sah | with |
| 50 | työ | tyuh | work |
Useful phrases in Finnish
- Hei · hay · Hello / Good day
- Mitä kuuluu? · MEE-tah KOO-loo · How are you?
- Kiitos · KEE-tohs · Thank you
- Ole hyvä · OH-leh HUE-vah · Please
- Nimeni on... · NEE-meh-nee ohn · My name is...
- Missä on...? · MIS-sah ohn · Where is...?
- Näkemiin · NA-keh-meen · Goodbye
- Anteeksi · AHN-tehk-see · Excuse me
- En ymmärrä · en UEM-mar-ra · I don't understand
- Voitko auttaa minua? · VOYT-ko OW-tah MEE-noo-ah · Can you help me?
- Paljonko se maksaa? · PAHL-yon-ko seh MAHK-sah · How much is it?
- Nähdään huomenna! · NAH-dahn HOO-oh-men-nah · See you tomorrow!
Learn Finnish with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Finnish, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Finnish learning community
Collaborate with native Finnish speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Finnish online · Create an online Finnish school · Build a Finnish curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Finnish
How difficult is it to learn Finnish?
How difficult Finnish is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Finnish is a Category III language - about 1100 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Finnish?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Finnish?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Finnish within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 5 million people across 1 countries speak Finnish, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Finnish vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Finnish pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Finnish pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Finnish speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Finnish alphabet first?
If Finnish uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.