Language/Finnish/Vocabulary/Greetings-and-Introductions

Finnish → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Everyday Phrases and Expressions → Greetings and Introductions

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn how to greet people and introduce yourself in Finnish. Greetings and introductions are essential in any language, as they are the first steps towards building relationships and connecting with others. Mastering these basic phrases will help you navigate social situations with ease and make a positive impression on native Finnish speakers. Throughout this lesson, we will explore a variety of greetings and introductions, provide examples of their usage, and delve into the cultural nuances surrounding these expressions.

Greetings

Basic Greetings

Let's start with the most common greetings in Finnish. These phrases can be used in both formal and informal settings:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Hei	[ˈheɪ̯]	Hello
Moi	[ˈmoi̯]	Hi
Terve	[ˈterve]	Hi / Hello
Hyvää päivää	[ˈhyʋæː ˈpæʋæː]	Good day
Päivää	[ˈpæʋæː]	Day (used as a greeting)

Time-Specific Greetings

Finnish also has specific greetings for different times of the day. These phrases are used to greet someone depending on whether it's morning, afternoon, or evening:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Huomenta	[ˈhuo̯mentɑ]	Good morning
Hyvää päivää	[ˈhyʋæː ˈpæʋæː]	Good afternoon
Hyvää iltaa	[ˈhyʋæː ˈiltɑː]	Good evening
Hyvää yötä	[ˈhyʋæː ˈyøtæ]	Good night

More Formal Greetings

When greeting someone in a more formal or respectful manner, you can use the following expressions:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Hyvää huomenta	[ˈhyʋæː ˈhuo̯mentɑ]	Good morning
Hyvää päivää	[ˈhyʋæː ˈpæʋæː]	Good day
Hyvää iltaa	[ˈhyʋæː ˈiltɑː]	Good evening
Hyvää yötä	[ˈhyʋæː ˈyøtæ]	Good night

Informal Greetings

In more casual situations, you can use these informal greetings with friends, family, or people of a similar age:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Moro	[ˈmoro]	Hi
Moikka	[ˈmoi̯kːɑ]	Hi / Bye
Terve	[ˈterve]	Hi / Hello

Introductions

Self-Introductions

When introducing yourself in Finnish, you can use the following phrases to tell others your name and some basic information about yourself:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Minun nimeni on [name]	[ˈminun ˈnimeni on] [name]	My name is [name]
Olen [name]	[ˈolen] [name]	I am [name]
Hauska tutustua	[ˈhɑusːkɑ ˈtutustuɑ]	Nice to meet you

For example, if your name is Anna, you can say "Minun nimeni on Anna" or simply "Olen Anna" to introduce yourself. Remember to adjust the phrase based on your own name.

Asking for Someone's Name

To ask someone for their name, you can use the following phrases:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Mikä sinun nimesi on?	[ˈmikæ ˈsinun ˈnimesi on]	What is your name?
Mikä on nimesi?	[ˈmikæ on ˈnimesi]	What is your name?

Responding to Introductions

When someone introduces themselves to you, it's polite to respond and acknowledge their introduction. Here are a few phrases you can use:

Finnish	Pronunciation	English Translation
Hauska tutustua	[ˈhɑusːkɑ ˈtutustuɑ]	Nice to meet you
Samoin	[ˈsɑmoin]	Likewise
Mukava tavata	[ˈmukɑʋɑ ˈtɑʋɑtɑ]	Nice to meet you

Feel free to use these phrases when responding to someone's introduction. It's a great way to show interest and establish a friendly connection.

Cultural Insights

In Finnish culture, greetings play an important role in social interactions. Finns value politeness and respect, especially when meeting someone for the first time or in more formal settings. When greeting someone, it is customary to make eye contact, smile, and offer a firm handshake. It's also common to address people using their first name, followed by the respectful title "Herra" (Mr.) or "Rouva" (Mrs./Ms.).

Finns appreciate punctuality and tend to stick to their schedules, so it's important to arrive on time for meetings or social gatherings. If you are running late, it's polite to inform the other person in advance. Additionally, Finns appreciate personal space and may prefer to keep a slightly greater distance during conversations compared to some other cultures.

In more casual situations, such as among friends or family, greetings tend to be more relaxed and informal. Finns often use casual greetings like "Moi" or "Moro" with people they are familiar with. It's also common to greet with a hug or a kiss on the cheek, especially among close friends or family members.

Practice Exercises

Now it's time to practice what you've learned! Complete the following exercises to reinforce your understanding of greetings and introductions in Finnish.

Exercise 1: Greetings Match the Finnish greetings with their English translations.

Finnish	English Translation
Moi	Good evening
Hyvää yötä	Hello
Hei	Hi
Hyvää iltaa	Good night

Solution:

Finnish	English Translation
Moi	Hi
Hyvää yötä	Good night
Hei	Hello
Hyvää iltaa	Good evening

Exercise 2: Introductions Fill in the blanks with the correct Finnish phrases to complete the self-introductions.

1. _______________ nimeni on Maria. 2. _______________ Tomi. 3. _______________ tutustua.

Solution: 1. Minun nimeni on Maria. 2. Olen Tomi. 3. Hauska tutustua.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now learned how to greet people and introduce yourself in Finnish. Greetings and introductions are the building blocks of communication, and by mastering these phrases, you are one step closer to becoming proficient in the Finnish language. Remember to practice these expressions in real-life situations to further develop your skills. Keep up the great work, and soon you'll be ready to move on to the next lesson in our "Complete 0 to A1 Finnish Course."

Table of Contents - Finnish Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Finnish

• Alphabet and Pronunciation
• Basic Sentence Structure

  ---

Greetings and Introductions

• Basic Greetings
• Introducing Yourself

  ---

Nouns and Adjectives

• Noun Cases
• Adjective Agreement

  ---

Numbers and Time

• Numbers 1-20
• Telling Time

  ---

Verbs and Tenses

• Present Tense
• Past Tense

  ---

Daily Activities

• Daily Routine
• Hobbies and Leisure

  ---

Questions and Negation

• Forming Questions
• Negation

  ---

Food and Dining

• Food Vocabulary
• Dining Out

  ---

Prepositions and Postpositions

• Prepositions
• Postpositions

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Travel Phrases

  ---

Finnish Culture and Traditions

• Holidays and Celebrations
• Finnish Sauna

  ---

Weather and Seasons

• Weather Vocabulary
• Seasons

  ---

Conjunctions and Subordinate Clauses

• Conjunctions
• Subordinate Clauses

  ---

Family and Relationships

• Family Members
• Relationships

  ---

Finnish Literature and Music

• Finnish Literature
• Finnish Music

Sources

• How to introduce yourself in Finnish - A good place to start learning ...
• Finnish Greetings: Hello in Finnish and 15 Other Great Greeting Words
• FINN-111 Finnish 1A, Open uni: Finnish 1A, summer (June) 20/6–7 ...
• Uncover the Finnish Language: Easy Basics of Finnish Start Here

Other Lessons

• Transportation and Travel
• Animal
• Verb Types
• Basic Phrases in Finnish
• Problems in Finnish
• Adverbs in Finnish
• Dinner Table
• Numbers and Counting
• How to count in Finnish
• Home