Suomi - Finnish

Cãlin · Post by **Cãlin** » 23 Aug 2004 21:44

Woooow, that was a well elaborated answer. I understand very well now. I will still post some questions from time to time. Thanks a lot for your help and for the time you're taking with answering. You're very sweet.

didine · Post by **didine** » 23 Aug 2004 21:45

By the way, if you look at a map like this one, you have to be careful about "ruotsinkieliset / Swedish speakers". It doesn't mean that Swedish is the dominant language in those regions, but that the Swedish minority is concentrated in those areas. Swedish is the dominant language only in the Åland Islands and 23 Finnish towns. Most of them are small, but there are some bigger ones too: Kristinestad/Kristiinankaupunki, Kronoby/Kruunupyy, Jakobstad/Pietarsaari and Ekenäs/Tammisaari.

Cãlin · Post by **Cãlin** » 23 Aug 2004 21:49

didine wrote:By the way, if you look at a map like this one,

Yes, Didine, that's the map I had in mind when I posted my question. Exactly that one!!!

Kiitos karttasta!

iubito · Post by **iubito** » 24 Aug 2004 08:27

zcalin wrote:Minä rakastan suomea.

thäät's the önnly thiing I've unndeerstööd iin Finnish !

didine · Post by **didine** » 26 Aug 2004 12:53

Here's a link to a newspaper in easy Finnish: Selkouutiset. You can read articles by cliking on "uusin numero" and "juttuarkisto".

Judith, zcalin, as you both speak Swedish, you can take a look at the Swedish version (LL-Bladet) for the things you don't understand!

Edit: You can also listen to the articles.

Cãlin · Post by **Cãlin** » 27 Aug 2004 07:46

Moi didine!

Tanks a lot for the links! Although I am encountering absolutely no problem in reading the Swedish version, it will still take me some time until I can actually start reading some bits of the Finnish version...

In other words, I will start learning Finnish again...

One question about the Finnish language:

I know that there is no gender in Finnish, but there is number, so: is "Tervetuloa" used to welcome just one person, or one can say it also to a group of people? What is it as a part of speech?

Thanks in advance, Didine!

didine · Post by **didine** » 27 Aug 2004 09:57

zcalin wrote:I know that there is no gender in Finnish, but there is number, so: is "Tervetuloa" used to welcome just one person, or one can say it also to a group of people? What is it as a part of speech?

"Tervetuloa" can be used to welcome one person of a group of people. It's a noun in the partitive case, as the verb "to wish" is implied here. There's another similar form, "tervemenoa", but you use it when you're happy the person you say it to is going away.

Cãlin · Post by **Cãlin** » 28 Aug 2004 22:24

Moi, Didine, ja kiitos!

I get it now.

Here's another one: "Osaan suomea" - which is the stem of the verb? I can't find it in the dictionary

This last one may sound a bit silly... As I progress with the courses, I will prepare some more questions, two or three at a time, not to bother you very much...

Thanks in advance!

didine · Post by **didine** » 28 Aug 2004 22:28

zcalin wrote:Here's another one: "Osaan suomea" - which is the stem of the verb? I can't find it in the dictionary?

Hello zcalin,

Your question is not silly at all, Finnish verbs really are tricky! The infinitive of osaan is osata. The infinitive ending is -ta in this case, thus osaan, osaat, osaa, etc.

Cãlin · Post by **Cãlin** » 29 Aug 2004 08:19

Hyvää huomenta, Didine!
Would you mind taking a brief look at this version of Kalevala (they say it is from 1849) and tell me which of the three versions it is? How much do you understand of it?

Kiitos

didine · Post by **didine** » 29 Aug 2004 09:32

Moi zcalin,

This version of the Kalevala is the original one. I'm actually surprised by how much I understand... actually it had been a while since I had taken a look at the original Kalevala. The main thing that could impede comprehension for a foreigner trying to read this version is that a lot of grammatical forms have changed ever since. Otherwise, there are some poetic words that are seldom or not used at all nowadays.

didine · Post by **didine** » 29 Aug 2004 09:49

didine wrote:
zcalin wrote:Here's another one: "Osaan suomea" - which is the stem of the verb? I can't find it in the dictionary?
Hello zcalin,

Your question is not silly at all, Finnish verbs really are tricky! The infinitive of osaan is osata. The infinitive ending is -ta in this case, thus osaan, osaat, osaa, etc.

My Finnish teacher, who wrote the text books we used, classified Finnish verb into several categories, which made it very easy to know how to conjugate them. I will think hard to remember the different verb groups and post them here.

Cãlin · Post by **Cãlin** » 30 Aug 2004 10:30

Terve, Didine!

Terve, kaikille!

Here are some of the on-line and downloadable materials that I have been using in my attempt to learn Finnish

Starting with the basics:
basic grammar
this is even more basic than the one above , but it has sound too
this one is GREAT!!! free Finnish course by the University of Heksinki
another basic one
also try this one

I'll paste some more links later...

didine · Post by **didine** » 30 Aug 2004 10:34

Terve zcalin,

The second link and the fourth one don't work.

didine · Post by **didine** » 30 Aug 2004 10:38

Yle Radio Finland also broadcasts news in simplified, extra slow Finnish for foreigners.

You can listen to the news on their website, and you can choose to view the text or try to understand without it.