Everything You Need To Learn Finnish
Finnish (suomi in the language) is a language spoken by about 5.5 million people, most of whom live in Finland. It is a member of the Finno-Ugric language family, and is closely related to Estonian.
Finnish is a notoriously difficult language for English speakers to learn, especially in its written form, due to many words being very long and complicated. Despite the difficulty, however, Finnish is a beautiful language and well worth learning.
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Printable FINNISH Flashcards [PDF Download]
£3.20
![Finnish Verb Conjugation Practice [PDF Download]](https://languagehobo.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Finnish-VC-Cover-1-212x300.jpg)
Finnish Verb Conjugation Practice [PDF Download]
£3.20
Due to its linguistic similarities with Estonian, if you choose to learn Finnish, you’ll have a much easier time understanding Estonian, even having never studied it. This is what’s known as a “language discount”.
Finnish differs from Estonian in that it has millions more native speakers, and it is likely for this reason that there are more learning materials available. Below you’ll find a wider range of Finnish-language resources in addition to the study books, all of which should help you become fluent in Finnish.
Finnish Language Learning Books
Getting started in Finnish is easy to do with a Finnish course/study book. Not only are these usually much more affordable than in-person courses, they go into greater detail about things like Finnish grammar and sentence structure, giving you a solid foundation on which to build.
If you’re serious about gaining fluency, you’ll want to add a good Finnish dictionary to your collection. It’s a must-have. As you progress, you’ll come across many new and interesting words, and being able to look them up and see them used in different contexts is crucial to your learning and growing as a Finnish speaker.
If you’re someone who has trouble remembering words, consider getting a Finnish word search puzzle book. Not only are these a lot of fun to do in your spare time, you’ll encounter hundreds of new words that are more likely to stick in your memory if learned in this manner.
Finnish Children’s Books
Finnish children’s books are a great way to build your vocabulary and keep the language fun at the same time. Even if you don’t have kids or aren’t a kid at heart, Finnish books written for children are some of the best resources out there, as they use simple vocabulary and memorable illustrations, which makes the learning process more enjoyable.
You’ll find that some of the books on this list are dual language English-Finnish, meaning that both texts are available in the same book. This makes it a lot easier to understand the story, because it will be written in both languages side by side.
Finnish Fiction
When you’ve had enough of reading Finnish kids’ books and you want something more challenging, it’s probably time for you to move on to reading Finnish fiction written for adults.
Finnish adult fiction uses much more complex language, so not only will it introduce you to plenty of new vocabulary and concepts, you’ll be able to relate to the material more.
Finnish Digital Courses
If you’re looking to get serious about actually speaking Finnish, you can’t go wrong with a Finnish e-course. These types of courses are usually audio-focused and are more concerned with getting you speaking and using Finnish as opposed to teaching you the theory and grammar of it.
So if you’re planning a trip to Finland and want to be able to express yourself to the natives, a digital audiovisual course might be just what you need.
Luckily, you have options. Both Udemy and Pimsleur offer exceptional digital courses that you can access from almost any device, from anywhere in the world, and at an affordable price.
While Pimsleur’s Finnish course is audio-only, Udemy’s comes with over 8 hours of video instruction, along with lifetime access to all future updates, and a vast community of fellow Finnish language learners you can interact with.
And, due to Udemy’s penchant for heavily discounting their courses, you can usually pick up the Udemy Finnish course for the price of a large pizza!
FINNISH UDEMY COURSES
FINNISH AUDIO COURSES
Pimsleur Finnish Conversational Course - Audio Course for Beginners
Finnish Products
As you progress in your Finnish studies, you might find that your needs change, particularly as they relate to using the language. Some products will facilitate your learning, while others will simply make reproducing the language easier.
If you intend to write in Finnish, Finnish keyboard stickers will surely come in handy.
