Words at the Finnish table
Finnish is not related to the other languages of the north – it belongs to another family. In exchange it is spoken exactly as written, once you know two rules.
How to read it
- Stress
- Always on the first syllable – without exception, even in long words.
- Double letters
- Really held twice: „kukka“ and „kuka“ are two different words.
- y
- Like the German ü.
- ä
- An open a as in „cat“.
- j
- Like the y in „yes“, never like j in „jam“.
At the restaurant
| Finnisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| anteeksi | ahn-tayk-see | Excuse me. The double e really is held long. |
| saisinko ruokalistan? | sigh-sin-ko rwo-ka-lis-tan | Could I have the menu? Politeness in Finnish is a question in the conditional. |
| mitä suosittelet? | mee-ta swo-sit-teh-let | What do you recommend? |
| saisinko laskun? | sigh-sin-ko las-koon | The bill, please. |
| oli todella hyvää | o-lee to-del-la hoo-va | It was really good. |
| hyvää ruokahalua | hoo-va rwo-ka-ha-loo-a | Enjoy your meal. |
At the table
| Finnisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kiitos ruoasta | kee-tos roo-oh-asta | Thank you for the food. Literally „thanks for the meal“ – said afterwards, briefly and without ceremony. |
| kahvi ja pulla | kah-vee ya pool-la | Coffee and a sweet bun. The basic unit of Finnish hospitality; whoever arrives gets both without being asked. |
| glögi | glur-gee | Mulled wine, often alcohol-free. In December the base for cakes, cheesecakes and jelly – not only a drink. |
Baking
| Finnisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pulla | pool-la | Sweet cardamom yeast bread. laskiaispulla is the Shrovetide one, split and filled with cream and almond paste. |
| korvapuusti | kor-va-poos-tee | Cinnamon bun. Literally „a slap on the ear“ – from the lopsided shape you get by cutting the roll at an angle and pressing it down. |
| munkki | moonk-kee | Doughnut. hillomunkki is the jam-filled one – munkki also means monk, and the name comes from the shape. |
| piparkakku | pee-par-kahk-koo | Gingerbread. pehmeä piparkakku is the soft kind; in December both it and the gingerbread house are on the table. |
In the kitchen
| Finnisch | Say it like | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hillo | hil-loh | Jam. It sits in hillomunkki and in hillosilmät, „jam eyes“ – biscuits with a drop in the middle. |
| puuro | poo-roh | Porridge. mannapuuro is semolina porridge; porridge in Finland is a meal, not a last resort. |
| kinkku | kink-koo | Ham. joulukinkku, the glazed Christmas ham, is the centre of the feast and needs half a night in the oven. |
| piirakka | pee-rahk-ka | A pie or filled pastry. lihapiirakka is the one filled with meat and rice, deep-fried and eaten at a kiosk. |
| keitto | kay-tto | Soup or stew. lapinukon keitto, „the Lapland old man's soup“, is made with reindeer. |
| paisti | pice-tee | A roast or stew. karjalanpaisti, the Karelian one, sits in the oven for hours and needs nothing but meat, onion and water. |