The Around the World phrasebook
Let's learn traveller's Finnish
Not the school kind — the airport, taxi and dinner-table kind. Every phrase with a say-it-out-loud pronunciation.
Nobody expects you to speak fluent Finnish. But ten words in the right places — and the market seller smiles, the driver drops the price, the waiter brings the good stuff. We've gathered 65 phrases that actually work, sorted by the moment you'll need them: the landing, the taxi, check-in, the table. Each with a pronunciation you can read aloud without cringing.
Phrasebook · 1/8
First words
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello (formal) | hyvää päivää | HYU-vah PAy-vah |
| Hello (informal) | hei | HEI |
| Goodbye | näkemiin | NE-keh-MEEN |
| Thank you | kiitos | KEE-tos |
| Please | ole hyvä | O-leh HYU-vah |
| Yes | kyllä | KYLL-lah |
| No | ei | EI |
| Sorry | anteeksi | AN-tehk-see |
| I don't understand | en ymmärrä | EN UM-mah-rah |
| Do you speak English? | puhutteko englantia? | PUH-hu-teh-ko EN-glan-tee-ah |
Phrasebook · 2/8
Courtesy & introductions
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Good morning | Hyvää huomenta | HYV-ää HOO-men-tah |
| Good evening | Hyvää iltaa | HYV-ää IL-tah |
| How are you? | Mitä kuuluu? | MI-tah KOO-loo |
| My name is... | Minun nimeni on... | MI-nun NI-me-ni ON |
| Nice to meet you | Hauska tutustua | HAUS-ka TOO-toos-tu-a |
| I am from Israel | Olen Israelista | O-len IS-ra-e-lis-ta |
| See you | Nähdään | NAH-dään |
Phrasebook · 3/8
At the airport & on the flight
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the gate? | Missä on portti? | MIS-sah on PORT-ti? |
| Is the flight delayed? | Onko lento myöhässä? | ON-ko LEN-to MYÖ-häs-sä? |
| Boarding pass | Matkustuskortti | MAT-kus-tus-KORT-ti |
| My suitcase didn't arrive | Matkalaukkuni ei saapunut | MAT-ka-lauk-ku-ni ei SAA-pu-nut |
| I have a connecting flight | Minulla on jatkolento | MI-nul-la on YAT-ko-LEN-to |
| Window/aisle seat | Ikkuna-/käytäväpaikka | IK-ku-na/KAY-ta-vä-PAIK-ka |
| Where is passport control? | Missä on passintarkastus? | MIS-sah on PAS-sin-TAR-kas-tus? |
Phrasebook · 4/8
Transport & directions
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| To this address, please. | Tähän osoitteeseen, kiitos. | TE-han o-soit-te-e-sen, KEE-tos. |
| How much to the center? | Paljonko maksaa keskustaan? | PAL-yon-ko MAK-sa KES-kus-taan? |
| One ticket to... | Yksi lippu... | YUK-si LIP-pu... |
| Which platform? | Mikä laituri? | MI-ka LAI-tu-ri? |
| Where is the bus station? | Missä on bussiasema? | MIS-sa on BUS-si-a-se-ma? |
| Stop here, please. | Pysähdy tähän, kiitos. | PY-sah-di TE-han, KEE-tos. |
| Is it far? | Onko se kaukana? | ON-ko se KAU-ka-na? |
| Turn left/right. | Käänny vasemmalle/oikealle. | KAEN-nu va-SEM-mal-le/OI-ke-al-le. |
| Straight ahead. | Suoraan eteenpäin. | SUO-raan E-te-en-pain. |
Phrasebook · 5/8
Hotel & stay
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Minulla on varaus | mi-NUL-la on va-RAUS |
| Check-in | Sisäänkirjautuminen | si-SÄÄN-kir-YAU-tu-mi-nen |
| Check-out | Uloskirjautuminen | u-LOS-kir-YAU-tu-mi-nen |
| Is breakfast included? | Sisältyykö aamiainen? | si-SAL-tyu-ko AA-mi-ai-nen |
| Room key | Huoneen avain | HUO-nen a-VAIN |
| Wi-Fi password | Wi-Fi salasana | WAI-fai sa-la-SA-na |
| Can I leave my luggage? | Voinko jättää matkatavarat? | VO-in-ko YET-tä mat-ka-ta-VA-rat |
| The air conditioner doesn't work | Ilmastointi ei toimi | IL-mas-TOIN-ti ei TOI-mi |
Phrasebook · 6/8
Restaurant & food
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Table for two | Pöytä kahdelle | PEY-tah KAH-deh-leh |
| The menu, please | Ruokalista, kiitos | ROO-oh-kah-LIS-tah KEE-tos |
| What do you recommend? | Mitä suosittelette? | MEE-tah SWO-see-TEH-leh-teh |
| The bill, please | Lasku, kiitos | LAS-koo KEE-tos |
| Tap water | Hanavesi | HAH-nah-VEH-see |
| I have a nut allergy | Olen allerginen pähkinöille | OH-len ah-LER-gee-nen PAH-kee-NOY-leh |
| No meat | Ei lihaa | EY LEE-hah |
| It was excellent | Se oli erinomaista | SEH OH-lee EH-ree-noh-MAIS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Voinko maksaa kortilla? | VOYN-ko MAHK-sah KOR-tee-lah |
Phrasebook · 7/8
Shopping & money
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | Paljonko se maksaa? | PAL-yon-ko seh MAK-sah? |
| It's too expensive | Se on liian kallis | seh on LEE-an KAL-lis |
| Do you accept cards? | Hyväksyttekö kortteja? | HY-vak-sy-te-ko KOR-te-ya? |
| I'm just looking | Minä vain katselen | MI-nah vain KAT-se-len |
| Can I get a receipt? | Voinko saada kuitin? | VOIN-ko SAH-da KUI-tin? |
| Where is an ATM? | Missä on pankkiautomaatti? | MIS-sah on PANK-ki-au-to-MAAT-ti? |
| A smaller size | Pienempi koko | PIE-nem-pi KO-ko |
Phrasebook · 8/8
Emergencies & health
| What you want to say | Finnish | How to say it |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Apua! | A-pu-a! |
| Call a doctor. | Soittakaa lääkäri. | SOY-ta-kaa LEH-a-ka-ri. |
| Call the police. | Soittakaa poliisi. | SOY-ta-kaa PO-li-si. |
| Where is a pharmacy? | Missä on apteekki? | MIS-sa on AP-tee-ki? |
| I don't feel well. | En voi hyvin. | EN voi HEY-vin. |
| I'm lost. | Olen eksynyt. | O-len EK-sy-nut. |
| I need a hospital. | Tarvitsen sairaalan. | TAR-vit-sen SAI-ra-a-lan. |
| It hurts here. | Tähän sattuu. | TE-han SAT-too. |
Q&A
Answers to your questions
How do you say "thank you" in Finnish?
"kiitos" (KEE-tos). It's one of the five words worth knowing by heart before you land.
How much Finnish do I need for a trip?
Not much. Five or six courtesy words (hello, thank you, please, sorry, yes/no) open doors, and another ten to fifteen phrases for fixed situations — a taxi, check-in, the restaurant bill — cover almost any trip. The rest: a camera-translation app.
Can you get by in English where Finnish is spoken?
In city centres, hotels and tourist sites — usually yes, especially with younger people. Outside them — markets, transport, small towns — a few words of the local language make a real difference and are warmly received.
Which countries have Finnish as an official language?
Finnish is a main language in 1 countries: Finland.
What's the difference between the formal and casual greeting?
Most languages have a formal "hello" for strangers, service staff and elders, and an everyday version for friends and peers. As a traveller it's always safer to open with the formal one — nobody is offended by too much politeness.
How do you politely ask someone to speak English?
"puhutteko englantia?" (PUH-hu-teh-ko EN-glan-tee-ah) — "do you speak English?". Lead with "excuse me" in the local language and it comes across as respectful.
About this page
Written and checked by the Around the World team. We compare prices across the major providers, cross-check official sources, and update when something changes. We have no stake in any one provider — links are affiliate links, and the price is the same for you.
Sources: Phrasebook: the Around the World team · Language-to-country: Around the World data