50 basic Finnish phrases for beginners
These 50 phrases cover the situations you meet first in Finland. Each comes with its English meaning and a short tip on how to say it.
5 min read · Updated 10 October 2026
Before you start: three quick rules
- Stress the first syllable of every word: KII-tos, AN-teek-si.
- Double letters are held longer: the tt in mutta or the ee in anteeksi.
- Say every letter. Finnish has no silent letters. See the Finnish pronunciation guide for the details.
The phrases below are standard Finnish that works everywhere. Where people commonly say something shorter in speech, it is noted.
Introductions (1–8)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hei! / Moi! | Hi! | moi rhymes with “boy” |
| 2. Minun nimeni on … | My name is … | every n clear: MI-nun NI-me-ni on |
| 3. Mikä sinun nimesi on? | What’s your name? | falling voice at the end |
| 4. Hauska tutustua. | Nice to meet you. | au glides: HAUS-ka |
| 5. Mistä sinä olet kotoisin? | Where are you from? | KO-toi-sin |
| 6. Olen kotoisin Intiasta. | I’m from India. | change the country to yours |
| 7. Asun Helsingissä. | I live in Helsinki. | long ss: Hel-sin-gis-sä |
| 8. Puhun vähän suomea. | I speak a little Finnish. | SUO-me-a, uo glides |
In speech, Minun nimeni on Anna often becomes Mä oon Anna, and Mistä sinä olet kotoisin? becomes Mistä sä oot kotoisin?
Politeness (9–16)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 9. Kiitos. | Thank you. | long ii: KII-tos |
| 10. Kiitos paljon. | Thank you very much. | PAL-jon, j like y in “yes” |
| 11. Ole hyvä. | Here you are. / You’re welcome. | y with rounded lips |
| 12. Ei kestä. | You’re welcome. / No problem. | ei as in “hey” |
| 13. Anteeksi. | Sorry. / Excuse me. | long ee: AN-teek-si |
| 14. Ei se mitään. | That’s okay. / Never mind. | long ää at the end |
| 15. Kyllä. / Joo. | Yes. | double ll held; joo is everyday speech |
| 16. Ei. | No. | like “hey” without the h |
Finnish has no common word for “please”. Put kiitos at the end of a request, or ask with Saisinko …? (Could I have …?). Both sound polite.
Questions (17–24)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 17. Mitä kuuluu? | How are you? | long uu: KUU-luu |
| 18. Missä on vessa? | Where is the toilet? | double ss in both words |
| 19. Paljonko tämä maksaa? | How much does this cost? | long aa at the end |
| 20. Mitä kello on? | What time is it? | double ll: KEL-lo |
| 21. Mikä tämä on? | What is this? | short vowels throughout |
| 22. Puhutko englantia? | Do you speak English? | ENG-lan-ti-a |
| 23. Voitko auttaa minua? | Can you help me? | double tt and aa: AUT-taa |
| 24. Saanko …? | Can I have …? / May I …? | long aa: SAAN-ko |
Questions in Finnish do not need a rising voice. The question word (missä, mitä) or the ending -ko/-kö already makes it a question. More in Finnish questions.
When you don’t understand (25–31)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 25. En ymmärrä. | I don’t understand. | YM-mär-rä, roll the rr |
| 26. Voitko puhua hitaammin? | Can you speak more slowly? | HI-taam-min |
| 27. Anteeksi, mitä? | Sorry, what? | quick and natural |
| 28. Mitä … tarkoittaa? | What does … mean? | TAR-koit-taa |
| 29. Miten sanotaan … suomeksi? | How do you say … in Finnish? | SUO-mek-si |
| 30. Voit puhua minulle suomea. | You can speak Finnish to me. | useful when people switch to English |
| 31. En tiedä. | I don’t know. | ie glides: TIE-dä |
Phrase 30 is worth learning early. Many Finns switch to English to be helpful. Saying Voit puhua minulle suomea kindly tells them you want to practise.
Shopping and cafés (32–38)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 32. Saisinko …? | Could I have …? | SAI-sin-ko |
| 33. Yksi kahvi, kiitos. | One coffee, please. | h is heard: KAH-vi |
| 34. Voinko maksaa kortilla? | Can I pay by card? | KOR-til-la, double ll |
| 35. Ei, kiitos. | No, thank you. | answer to “Kuitti?” (receipt?) |
| 36. Katselen vain. | I’m just looking. | KAT-se-len |
| 37. Onko teillä …? | Do you have …? | TEIL-lä, double ll |
| 38. Tämä, kiitos. | This one, please. | TÄ-mä, ä as in “cat” |
Directions (39–44)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 39. Missä on …? | Where is …? | MIS-sä on |
| 40. Miten pääsen rautatieasemalle? | How do I get to the railway station? | RAU-ta-tie-A-se-mal-le |
| 41. Oikealle. | To the right. | OI-ke-al-le |
| 42. Vasemmalle. | To the left. | VA-sem-mal-le |
| 43. Suoraan eteenpäin. | Straight ahead. | SUO-raan E-teen-päin |
| 44. Onko se kaukana? | Is it far? | KAU-ka-na |
Emergencies and health (45–50)
| Finnish | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| 45. Apua! | Help! | A-pu-a, three short syllables |
| 46. Soita 112! | Call 112! | 112 is said yksi yksi kaksi |
| 47. Tarvitsen lääkäriä. | I need a doctor. | long ää: LÄÄ-kä-ri-ä |
| 48. Olen eksynyt. | I’m lost. | EK-sy-nyt |
| 49. Minulla on huono olo. | I feel unwell. | uo glides: HUO-no |
| 50. Missä on lähin apteekki? | Where is the nearest pharmacy? | AP-teek-ki |
112 is the single emergency number in Finland for police, ambulance and fire. For situations at the doctor, the pharmacy and on public transport, see Finnish phrases for everyday life.
How to learn these phrases so they stick
- Learn them out loud. Reading is not enough. Say each phrase three times, slowly and then at normal speed.
- Learn the answer too. If you ask Mitä kuuluu?, be ready for Kiitos hyvää, entä sinulle?
- Practise five at a time. Ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
- Use them in real life. Say Hei and Kiitos in Finnish at the shop today.
- Swap in your own words. Asun Helsingissä → Asun Tampereella, Olen kotoisin Intiasta → your own country.
Maija’s lessons use flashcards with spaced repetition, so phrases come back just before you would forget them, and her spoken classes let you use them in short conversations.
Once these feel easy, move on to greetings in more detail, numbers and a plan in how to learn Finnish.
Practise with Maija
Maija is a Finnish speaking tutor for iPhone and Android. You talk to her out loud, she answers and gently corrects you, and she can explain in 12 languages. Take the free level check to see where to begin.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important Finnish phrases?+
Start with Hei (hi), Kiitos (thank you), Anteeksi (sorry / excuse me), En ymmärrä (I don’t understand), Puhutko englantia? (Do you speak English?) and Paljonko tämä maksaa? (How much is this?).
How do you say please in Finnish?+
There is no everyday word for please. Add kiitos to the end of a request (Yksi kahvi, kiitos) or use a polite question like Saisinko …? (Could I have …?).
How do you say “I don’t understand” in Finnish?+
En ymmärrä. You can add Voitko puhua hitaammin? (Can you speak more slowly?).
Do I need Finnish phrases if Finns speak English?+
Many Finns speak good English, but even a few Finnish phrases make daily life warmer and easier, and they are the first step to real conversations.