Think Finnish · Free opening part
Hiljainen
Jussi.
Small steps. Your first Finnish sentences.
Begin with Jussi’s morning. Discover useful words and patterns, then say something of your own. No previous Finnish or account needed.
Lesson 1 / 6 · 10 min
A morning in Finland
Follow a short story and recognise eight words.
On aamu. Jussi on Suomessa. Metsä on hiljainen.
It is morning. Jussi is in Finland. The forest is quiet.
Järvi on kylmä. Tie on lähellä. Jussi on kotona.
The lake is cold. The road is nearby. Jussi is at home.
Pihalla on sauna. Sauna on lämmin.
There is a sauna in the yard. The sauna is warm.
Notice Suomi → Suomessa and koti → kotona. Learn Suomessa as ‘in Finland’ and kotona as ‘at home’ for now.
A · Match eight words
Choose the English meaning of each word.
B · Return to the story
Find the answers in the story. Then say two words you want to remember.
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Lesson 2 / 6 · 10 min
Three small sentences
Describe one thing using a simple ‘something is…’ pattern.
First comes the thing we are talking about. On means ‘is’. At the end, we describe what the thing is like. Here we practise describing one thing.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| Metsä on hiljainen. | The forest is quiet. |
| Järvi on kylmä. | The lake is cold. |
| Sauna on lämmin. | The sauna is warm. |
A · Complete the story
Use hiljainen, kylmä and lämmin once each.
B · Build a sentence
Put the words in order. Start with the named thing. Pieni = small; koti = home.
C · Change one word
Replace pieni with lämmin. Write the whole sentence and read it aloud.
Mark this when you have read, tried the tasks and reviewed the feedback. You can return at any time.
Lesson 3 / 6 · 10 min
A small difference changes a word
Notice short and long sounds in writing and practise saying them.
Two identical letters usually mark a long sound. In tuuli, the u lasts longer. Keep uu as one steady sound.
A consonant can be long too. In kukka, hold the closure for k a little longer; in matto, do the same for t. Do not add a vowel between the doubled letters. Give the long sound more time; it does not need to be louder.
Model recordings are not available yet. This is a reading and speaking activity. Written answers do not assess your pronunciation.
| Short sound | Long sound |
|---|---|
| tuli · fire | tuuli · wind |
| kuka · who | kukka · flower |
| mato · worm | matto · rug |
A · Choose the meaning
Look carefully at single and doubled letters.
B · Find the long sound
Write only the doubled letters. Then say the words slowly.
Your turn to use Finnish
C · Read each pair three times: tuli – tuuli; kuka – kukka; mato – matto. You can record yourself with your own recorder. Which pair would you like to practise again?
Write a pair or a short note to yourself.
Mark this when you have read, tried the tasks and reviewed the feedback. You can return at any time.
Lesson 4 / 6 · 15 min
Who does the action
Use all six persons of puhua and olla with a model.
Minä puhun. Sinä puhut. Puhua means to speak; olla means to be. The action stays the same, but the person changes. The end of the verb changes too. We practise standard Finnish here; everyday speech also has other forms.
The stem of puhua is puhu-. Add an ending: puhu + n = puhun; puhu + mme = puhumme. In hän puhuu, the final u becomes long. This does not mean every verb uses u for hän.
Learn hän on and he ovat separately. The other olla forms here use ole-: ole + n = olen.
| Person | Meaning | Puhua | Olla |
|---|---|---|---|
| minä | I | puhun | olen |
| sinä | you | puhut | olet |
| hän | he / she | puhuu | on |
| me | we | puhumme | olemme |
| te | you (plural) | puhutte | olette |
| he | they | puhuvat | ovat |
A · Choose the right form
Use the table. Suomea = Finnish in these sentences; kotona = at home.
B · Build puhua and olla
Join the parts without a hyphen. Learn the two special forms separately.
C · Change the person
Write the whole new sentence. Change the verb too; keep the rest the same.
Your turn to use Finnish
D · Choose two persons. Write one sentence with each, then read them aloud.
Use the table. You can keep suomea or kotona unchanged.
Mark this when you have read, tried the tasks and reviewed the feedback. You can return at any time.
Lesson 5 / 6 · 15 min
Four sentence patterns
Choose a pattern to match what you want to say.
Start by deciding what you want to say. Sauna on lämmin describes the sauna. Pihalla on sauna tells what is in the yard. The same on appears in different patterns.
The book also uses Jussi rakentaa taloa: Jussi is building a house. Learn it as a whole sentence for now; we explore talo → taloa later.
Compare Minä olen kotona (I am at home) and Minulla on puhelin (I have a phone). Minä olen and Minulla on do different jobs. Keep on in the Minulla on… pattern.
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Description / Kuvailu | Sauna on lämmin. | The sauna is warm. |
| 2 · Action / Tekeminen | Minä puhun suomea. | I speak Finnish. |
| 3 · In a place / Paikassa | Pihalla on sauna. | There is a sauna in the yard. |
| 4 · Having / Omistaminen | Minulla on puhelin. | I have a phone. |
A · What does the sentence say?
Choose the pattern number from the table. Use each number once.
B · Complete the meaning
Use on, puhun, sauna and puhelin once each. Follow the English meaning.
C · Put the words together
Use every word. Begin with the capitalised word.
Your turn to use Finnish
D · Imagine showing a visitor your home. Describe it and say what you have.
pieni = small; lämmin = warm; kirja = book; puhelin = phone
Mark this when you have read, tried the tasks and reviewed the feedback. You can return at any time.
Lesson 6 / 6 · 15 min
My first sentences
Recall what you have learnt and make sentences of your own.
Try without the tables first. If you need help, return to the earlier lesson and try again. This review helps you decide what to practise next; it does not certify a language level.
Review words in lesson 1, sound length in lesson 3, verbs in lesson 4 and sentence patterns in lesson 5. Your answers stay here while you move between lessons on this page.
A · Ten-question review
Write one Finnish word in each field, then check your answers.
Your turn to use Finnish
B · Write four sentences of your own. Use the word bank. Your sentences can be true or imaginary.
pieni = small; lämmin = warm; suomea = Finnish; englantia = English; sauna = sauna; talo = house; puhelin = phone; kirja = book
Mark this when you have read, tried the tasks and reviewed the feedback. You can return at any time.