Finnish phrases for everyday life in Finland
Textbook phrases are a start, but life in Finland has its own lines: “Kuitti mukaan?”, “Täällä vai mukaan?”, “Ota vuoronumero.” Here is what you will hear and what to say back.
5 min read · Updated 10 October 2026
Each section below has two parts: what people say to you, and what you can say. The Finnish is standard and polite. Where people usually say something shorter, that is noted too.
At the supermarket
What the cashier says
Hei!
Hi! (just say Hei! back)
Tarvitsetko kassin? / Pussi?
Do you need a bag? / Bag?
Onko kanta-asiakaskorttia?
Do you have a loyalty card? (they often name the card)
Kuitti mukaan?
Would you like the receipt?
Kiitos, hei!
Thanks, bye!
What you can say
Ei, kiitos. / Joo, kiitos.
No, thanks. / Yes, please.
Yksi kassi, kiitos.
One bag, please.
Ei tarvitse.
No need. (e.g. for the receipt)
Mistä löydän kananmunat?
Where can I find the eggs?
Onko tämä tarjouksessa?
Is this on offer?
In many Finnish supermarkets you weigh loose fruit and vegetables yourself on the scale near the produce. Drinks in plastic bottles and cans have a deposit (pantti), which you get back at the bottle return machine (pullonpalautusautomaatti).
At a café
Mitä saisi olla?
What can I get you?
Saisinko yhden kahvin ja korvapuustin?
Could I have a coffee and a cinnamon bun?
Täällä vai mukaan?
For here or to take away?
Täällä. / Mukaan.
For here. / To take away.
Tuleeko muuta?
Anything else?
Ei muuta, kiitos.
Nothing else, thanks.
Onko teillä kauramaitoa?
Do you have oat milk?
Onko tämä gluteeniton? / laktoositon?
Is this gluten-free? / lactose-free?
At the health centre (terveysasema)
Your local public health centre is the terveysasema. You usually call or book online first, and a nurse (hoitaja) assesses what you need. Outside office hours, there is emergency care (päivystys), and in a real emergency you call 112.
Booking
Haluaisin varata ajan lääkärille.
I’d like to book an appointment with a doctor.
Mikä on henkilötunnuksesi?
What is your personal identity code?
Mitä oireita sinulla on?
What symptoms do you have?
Kuinka kauan oireet ovat kestäneet?
How long have you had the symptoms?
Describing symptoms
Minulla on kuumetta.
I have a fever.
Minulla on flunssa.
I have a cold.
Minulla on yskää.
I have a cough.
Kurkku on kipeä.
My throat is sore.
Päätä särkee.
I have a headache.
Vatsaan sattuu.
My stomach hurts.
Minua sattuu tähän.
It hurts here.
Olen ollut sairaana kolme päivää.
I’ve been ill for three days.
Olen allerginen penisilliinille.
I’m allergic to penicillin.
Tarvitsen todistuksen työnantajalle.
I need a certificate for my employer.
Minulla on … (I have …) is the key structure. Things you can have “some” of, like fever and cough, go in the partitive: kuumetta, yskää. Read more in the partitive guide.
At the pharmacy (apteekki)
Prescriptions in Finland are electronic. You show your ID or Kela card, and the pharmacist finds your prescription.
Minulla on sähköinen resepti.
I have an electronic prescription.
Tässä on Kela-korttini.
Here is my Kela card.
Tarvitsen jotain flunssaan.
I need something for a cold.
Saako tätä ilman reseptiä?
Can I get this without a prescription?
Miten tätä otetaan?
How do I take this?
Kaksi kertaa päivässä ruoan kanssa.
Twice a day with food.
On the bus and train
Meneekö tämä bussi keskustaan?
Does this bus go to the centre?
Mistä saan lipun?
Where can I get a ticket?
Yksi lippu Tampereelle, kiitos.
One ticket to Tampere, please.
Miltä raiteelta juna lähtee?
Which platform does the train leave from?
Onko tämä paikka vapaa?
Is this seat free?
Missä minun pitää jäädä pois?
Where should I get off?
Missä minun pitää vaihtaa?
Where do I need to change?
Juna on myöhässä.
The train is late.
At a bus stop, wave to the driver when your bus comes, or it may not stop. Inside, press the stop button before your stop. Tickets are usually bought in an app or from a machine.
Small talk at work
Finnish workplaces are informal: everyone uses first names and sinä. Small talk is short and friendly, often over coffee during the coffee break (kahvitauko).
Huomenta!
Morning!
Miten viikonloppu meni?
How was your weekend?
Ihan kivasti. Olin mökillä.
Pretty nice. I was at the cottage.
Onpa kylmä tänään!
It’s cold today, isn’t it!
Mennäänkö lounaalle?
Shall we go to lunch?
Voitko auttaa minua tämän kanssa?
Can you help me with this?
Palataan tähän huomenna.
Let’s get back to this tomorrow.
Olen tänään kipeänä.
I’m sick today.
Hyvää viikonloppua! – Kiitos, samoin!
Have a nice weekend! – Thanks, you too!
In speech, many of these get shorter: Mennäänks lounaalle?, Oon tänään kipeenä. See spoken Finnish, and for job-related language, Finnish for work.
At Kela and other offices
Kela is Finland’s social insurance institution. For Kela, the tax office (Vero) and other public offices, you can often do things online, but sometimes you visit or call. Officials may use the polite te form, and you can too: Voisitteko …?
Haluaisin varata ajan.
I’d like to book an appointment.
Minulla on varattu aika kello kymmeneltä.
I have an appointment at ten.
Ota vuoronumero.
Take a queue number.
Voinko asioida englanniksi?
Can I do this in English?
Mitä papereita tarvitsen?
What documents do I need?
Täytin hakemuksen verkossa.
I filled in the application online.
Voisitteko puhua hitaammin?
Could you speak more slowly?
Voisitteko kirjoittaa sen ylös?
Could you write it down?
Your henkilötunnus (personal identity code) is asked for almost everywhere: at the health centre, the pharmacy, Kela and the bank. Learn to say it aloud in Finnish; it is good number practice too. See Finnish numbers.
How to get ready for real situations
- Pick the situation you will face next: a doctor’s appointment, a call to Kela, your first day at work.
- Learn three or four lines from that section by heart, including the likely questions you will hear.
- Say them out loud, then role-play the whole exchange.
- Go and use them. If the other person switches to English, you can say Voit puhua minulle suomea (You can speak Finnish to me).
Maija’s spoken classes include these real-life scenarios, from the shop to the doctor to small talk at work, so you can rehearse them out loud and get gentle corrections before the real thing.
Practise with Maija
Maija is a Finnish speaking tutor for iPhone and Android that teaches from Pre-A1 to C2, with explanations in 12 languages. Take the free level check and start practising the conversations you need.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Kuitti mukaan?” mean?+
“Would you like the receipt?” The cashier asks it at the till. Answer “Ei, kiitos” (No, thanks) or “Joo, kiitos” (Yes, please).
How do I say I have a fever in Finnish?+
Minulla on kuumetta. For a cough say Minulla on yskää, and for a sore throat Kurkku on kipeä.
What is a terveysasema?+
A public health centre run by your area’s health services. You book an appointment by phone or online, and a nurse assesses your needs first.
Can I use English at Kela and other offices?+
Often yes. You can ask “Voinko asioida englanniksi?” (Can I do this in English?). Many services are also available online in English.