Finnish Gender
Welcome to the fifth Finnish lesson about gender. This time we will view a list of people, feminine and masculine, followed by grammar rules, finally a list of expressions in Finnish to help you practice your daily phrases.
man  mies | woman nainen | husband mies | wife vaimo |
boy poika | girl tyttö | father isä | mother äiti |
Gender Grammar Rules
In general, gender is used to distinguish between male and female, sometimes referred to as masculine and feminine. For example: my son and daughter are students the noun [son] is masculine, while [daughter] is feminine. The following examples use gender in different ways and places to demonstrate their behavior.
| Grammar + Rules | Finnish |
|---|---|
| my son is a student [masculine + noun] | poikani on opiskelija |
| her daughter is a student [feminine + noun] | hänen tyttärensä on opiskelija |
| he has a tall brother [adjective + masculine] | hänellä on pitkä veli |
| she has a tall sister [adjective + feminine] | hänellä on pitkä sisko |
| his brothers are young [plural masculine + adjective] | hänen veljensä ovat nuoria |
| his sisters are young [plural feminine + adjective] | hänen sisarensa ovat nuoria |
The list below will probably provide more clarification. These are family members (males and females). I think it would be wise to memorize them as part of your important vocabulary list.
son poika | daughter tytär | brother veli | sister sisko | grandfather isoisä | grandmother isoäiti | child lapsi | children lapset |
Expressions in Finnish
Now it's time to practice expressions used in daily conversations. If you're a beginner in learning Finnish, then the phrases below are something you would want to know.
| English | Finnish |
|---|---|
| What do you mean? | mitä tarkoitat? |
| I don't understand | en ymmärrä |
| I don't know | en tiedä |
| What is that called in Finnish? | miksi tätä kutsutaan suomeksi? |
| What is this? | mikä tämä on? |
| What does that word mean in English? | mitä tämä sana tarkoittaa englanniksi? |
| Sorry (if you made a mistake) | anteeksi |
I hope you enjoyed this lesson about the gender in Finnish. If you have any question about this lesson please contact me here. Now it's time to check the next lesson below.
| Finnish Numbers |
Inspirational Quote: High achievement always takes place in a framework of high expectation. Jack Kinder |