First Phrases

Language café · Suomi

Language café in Finnish: 10 phrases for tonight

You are there to practise, so mistakes are the point. Say what you are learning, ask people to slow down, and ask them to correct you.

Register: Informal (friendly). Sinä is normal in a language café ("kielikahvila"). Finns appreciate you trying: say "puhun vähän suomea" (I speak a little Finnish) and people will slow down.

How to read the sounds: Finnish is spelled as pronounced, and the stress is always on the first syllable. Doubled vowels (aa, ii, uu, ää) and doubled consonants (kk, ll, tt, ss) are held noticeably longer, so kuuma and kumma are different words. y = ü (say 'ee' with rounded lips), ä = the a of 'cat', ö = the eu of French 'peu'. ai = eye, ei = ay, oi = oy, u = oo.

10 phrases, door to goodbye

  1. 01 · Arriving
    Moi! Hauska tavata.
    Say it like: MOI! HAUS-ka TA-va-ta
    Hi! Nice to meet you.
  2. 02 · Saying you're new
    Olen ensimmäistä kertaa täällä ja opiskelen suomea.
    Say it like: O-len EN-sim-mäis-tä KER-taa TÄÄL-lä ja O-pis-ke-len SUO-me-a
    It's my first time here and I'm studying Finnish.
  3. 03 · Asking how it works
    Miten tämä toimii? Puhutaanko ryhmissä kielen mukaan?
    Say it like: MI-ten TÄ-mä TOI-mii? PU-hu-taan-ko RÜH-mis-sä KIE-len MU-kaan
    How does this work? Do we talk in groups by language?
  4. 04 · Small talk
    Kuinka kauan olet opiskellut kieliä?
    Say it like: KUIN-ka KAU-an O-let O-pis-kel-lut KIE-li-ä
    How long have you been studying languages?
  5. 05 · Small talk
    Mikä on äidinkielesi?
    Say it like: MI-kä on ÄI-din-kie-le-si
    What is your mother tongue?
  6. 06 · Small talk
    Mikä kieli on sinulle vaikein?
    Say it like: MI-kä KIE-li on SI-nul-le VAI-kein
    Which language is the hardest for you?
  7. 07 · Slow down
    Voisitko puhua vähän hitaammin?
    Say it like: VOI-sit-ko PU-hu-a VÄ-hän HI-taam-min
    Could you speak a little more slowly?
  8. 08 · Asking for a word
    Miten sanotaan "slow" suomeksi?
    Say it like: MI-ten SA-no-taan "slow" SUO-mek-si
    How do you say "slow" in Finnish?
  9. 09 · Being corrected
    Korjaatko minua, jos teen virheen?
    Say it like: KOR-jaat-ko MI-nu-a, jos TEEN VIR-heen
    Will you correct me if I make a mistake?
  10. 10 · Leaving & keeping in touch
    Kiitos harjoituksesta! Tavataanko ensi kerralla taas?
    Say it like: KII-tos HAR-joi-tuk-ses-ta! TA-va-taan-ko EN-si KER-ral-la TAAS
    Thanks for the practice! Shall we meet again next time?

3 things you will probably hear

  1. H1 · You may hear
    Mitä kieltä haluat harjoitella?
    Say it like: MI-tä KIEL-tä HA-lu-at HAR-joi-tel-la
    Which language do you want to practise?
  2. H2 · You may hear
    Ei hätää, ymmärrän sinua.
    Say it like: EI HÄ-tää, ÜM-mär-rän SI-nu-a
    No worries, I understand you.
  3. H3 · You may hear
    Kymmenen minuutin välein vaihdamme kieltä.
    Say it like: KÜM-me-nen MI-nuu-tin VÄ-lein VAIH-dam-me KIEL-tä
    Every ten minutes we switch language.

Go and try it

Find language cafés on speak.comealone.app

Quick answers

What do I say when I arrive alone at a language café in Finnish?

Start with: "Moi! Hauska tavata." (Hi! Nice to meet you.). Then say you are new: "Olen ensimmäistä kertaa täällä ja opiskelen suomea." (It's my first time here and I'm studying Finnish.)

Should I use informal or formal Finnish at a language café?

Sinä is normal in a language café ("kielikahvila"). Finns appreciate you trying: say "puhun vähän suomea" (I speak a little Finnish) and people will slow down.

How do I ask to meet again after a language café in Finnish?

Try: "Kiitos harjoituksesta! Tavataanko ensi kerralla taas?" (Thanks for the practice! Shall we meet again next time?)

Same evening, another language

Español Français Deutsch Português Italiano Suomi

Finnish, another evening

Pub quiz Padel & pickleball Run club Sauna Book club Dinner with strangers Language café

All 7 × 6 cards · Phrases for a specific event near you

How it works

  1. Pick the evening and the language people will speak.
  2. Read the ten phrases in order: they follow the evening from the door to goodbye. Tap the speaker to hear each one in your device's voice.
  3. Print the card or keep it open on your phone. Native-speaker review is still pending; a "check" mark flags a phrase we are least sure of.
  4. Find the event on Come Alone, open it in Meet & Mint to see who else is going, and say the first phrase for real.

firstphrases.app/tonight/cafe/fi/ · Meet & Mint