Basic Finnish for tourists and travelers: Difference between revisions

The way to thank people in Finnish is "'''Kiitos'''" which literally translates to "a thank" (plural is ''''kiitoksia'''' and is a slightly more thanking expression). This is the most common way to thank a person in Finnish.  

== Choosing a sauna ==

Some famous saunas in Helsinki are:

* '''[https://tilajakamo.fi/uutiset/lapinlahdessa-telttasauna/ Lapinlahden telttasauna]''' by the sea in the scenic Lapinlahti grounds open Fri and Sat 15-20 is renowned for their trademark smooth and mellow löyly administered by the 'Sauna Major'.  

* '''[http://www.sompasauna.fi/?page_id=263 Sompasauna]''' is free of charge but bringing löyly water (normal tap water) and firewood (available at gas stations) will be appreciated at this community-built and community-run sauna. This classic sauna is by the sea.

* [http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/see-and-experience/activities-in-helsinki/swimming-and-saunas#/?listing_id=52343&mode=list More alternatives from the Helsinki City tourist site]

 

[http://www.helsinkisaunaday.fi/ Helsinki Sauna Day] is an event held on Saturdays annually or biannually. The plot is this: Saunas are heated and opened up to sauna-goers free-of-charge. This is an excellent way to discover quality saunas inaccessible normally. On the website you may either register your sauna to participate or to book seats in sauna waves (usually 1hr long slots). Not limited only to Helsinki. Next Helsinki Sauna Day is 2018-03-10 (Sat March 10 2018).

 

 

You want to experience the wonderfully indescribable soothing effect of the Finnish sauna. Excellent choice dear Sir/Madam.

Depending on your choice of sauna, i.e. municipal swimming hall, country-side cabin sauna, old-school commercial sauna a few exist, hotel or restaurant's sauna or one of the new design saunas that have recently sprung up the rules are slightly different but lingo is unchanged throughout Finnish sauna culture.

[[File:Saunalautta Vuoksella juhannusyönä.JPG|left|thumb|300px|A lavish floating sauna on photographed during [[w:Midsummer#Finland|Juhannus]] celebrations.]]

::* fi."Missä on sauna?" == en."Where is the sauna?"

::* fi."Missä on pukuhuone?" == en."Where is the dressing room?"

::* fi."Missä ovat kaljat?" == en."Where are the beers?"

::* Now we can also form the compound word fi."pukuhuonekaljat" == en."dressing room beers", awesome!

::* "Tarvitsenko pyyhkeen?" == en."Do I need a towel?"

::* "Onko kaljaa?" == en."Are there any beers?"

* "Missä päin sauna on?" == en."In which direction the sauna is?". Follow the wave hand signal direction.

* In hotel and restaurant saunas toiletries will be provided by the establishment for the traveler. In private saunas these are also on the house. In other cases bring your own.

::* -> fi."Vihdo lujempaa" == en."Whack me harder with your vihta."

::* -> fi."Lisää löylyä." == en."Throw some more water on the stones."

::* -> fi."Heitä löylyä" == same thing

::* fi."Hyvät löylyt" == en."Good steams"

::* -> fi."Helvetti, liian kuuma" == en."Hell, it is too hot in here."

::* -> fi."Mennään uimaan" == en."Lets go swimming"

:: -> fi."Mennään kaljalle." == en."Lets go have a beer."

* fi."'''avanto'''" == en."ice hole"

::* -> fi."Hypätään avantoon" == en."Lets jump into the ice hole."

::* -> fi."Kieritään lumessa!" == en."Lets roll in the snow!"

== Special times in the sauna calendar ==

=== Beginners ===

* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/speak-finnish-helppoa-suomea-aloittelijoille Speak Finnish] at YLE.fi

* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/supisuomea Supisuomea - Real Finnish] at YLE.fi with [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/01/14/supisuomea-videot 12 video courses] included. The course is fully in Finnish, but there are [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/sanastot glossaries] available in [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/04/suomi-english English], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-deutsch German], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-russkiy Russian], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-svenska Swedish], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-eesti-keel Estonian], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-francais French] and [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-af-somali Somalian]

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-1-persoonapronominit-verbin-persoonataivutus-ja-adjektiivit Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 1: Persoonapronominit, verbin persoonataivutus ja adjektiivit] - [[w:personal pronoun|personal pronoun]]s, [[w:verb|verb]] [[w:inflection|inflection]] and [[w:adjective|adjective]]s

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-2-lukusanat-ja-ajanilmaukset Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 2: Lukusanat ja ajanilmaukset] - [[w:Numeral (linguistics)|Numerals]] and telling time

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-3-arjen-kysymyksia-ja-astevaihtelu Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 3: Arjen kysymyksiä ja astevaihtelu] - Everyday questions and [[w:consonant gradation|consonant gradation]]

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-4-omistaminen-ja-oma-perhe Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 4: Omistaminen ja oma perhe] - [[w:Possession (linguistics)|Possession]] and my family members

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-5-paikallissijat-ja-vokaaliharmonia Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 5: Paikallissijat ja vokaaliharmonia] - Grammatical cases that indicate location or movement from or towards a location ([[w:fi:Paikallissija|fi:Paikallissija]]t) and [[w:vowel harmony|vowel harmony]]  

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-6-imperfekti-seka-asiointia-preesensissa Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 6: Imperfekti sekä asiointia preesensissä] - [[w:Imperfect|Imperfect]] and everyday situations in [[w:present tense|present tense]]

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-7-suomalaista-ruokaa-ja-partitiivi Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 7: Suomalaista ruokaa ja partitiivi] - [[w:Finnish cuisine|Finnish cuisine]] and the [[w:partitive|partitive]] case

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-8-matkustussanastoa-imperatiivi-ja-konditionaali Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 8: Matkustussanastoa, imperatiivi ja konditionaali] - Language for traveling, [[w:Imperative mood|imperative]] and [[w:conditional mood|conditional]] [[w:Grammatical mood|moods]]

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-9-suomalaisia-tapoja-ja-kulttuuria Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 9: Suomalaisia tapoja ja kulttuuria] - Finnish [[w:Social norm|customs]] and [[w:Culture of Finland|culture]]

=== Intermediate ===