If you’re wondering what the 1000 most common Finnish words are, here’s the quick answer: mastering these words will give you access to about 85% of everyday Finnish conversations. Instead of memorizing obscure grammar rules first, you can start speaking and understanding real Finnish by learning the most frequently used words across greetings, numbers, travel, food, family, and daily life.
This guide gives you an overview of those 1000 words, broken into categories with translations and usage examples. You’ll also learn strategies to memorize them, cultural tips on how Finns use language, and practice exercises to make the words stick.
Table of Contents
Open Table of Contents
1. Why Learn the 1000 Most Common Finnish Words?
Linguistic studies show that the top 1000 words in any language cover the majority of spoken and written material. For Finnish learners, this is especially powerful because:
- Finnish has a rich case system, but core vocabulary repeats constantly.
- Once you know these words, you’ll understand daily conversations, signs, menus, and even news headlines.
- It builds a foundation before diving into rarer or technical vocabulary.
💡 Think of these words as your toolbox. With them, you can survive travel, enjoy conversations, and grow your confidence in Finnish quickly.
2. Greetings & Essential Words
| Finnish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Hei | Hi | Hei! Mitä kuuluu? (Hi! How are you?) |
| Moi | Hello/Bye (informal) | Moi, nähdään huomenna! (Bye, see you tomorrow!) |
| Terve | Hello (casual) | Terve! Hauska tavata. (Hello! Nice to meet you.) |
| Hyvää huomenta | Good morning | Hyvää huomenta! (Good morning!) |
| Hyvää päivää | Good afternoon / Good day | Hyvää päivää, professori. (Good day, professor.) |
| Hyvää iltaa | Good evening | Hyvää iltaa, mukava nähdä! (Good evening, nice to see you!) |
| Näkemiin | Goodbye (formal) | Näkemiin ja kiitos paljon. (Goodbye and thank you very much.) |
| Nähdään | See you | Nähdään pian! (See you soon!) |
| Kiitos | Thank you | Kiitos avusta. (Thanks for the help.) |
| Kiitos paljon | Thank you very much | Kiitos paljon ruoasta. (Thanks a lot for the food.) |
| Ole hyvä | You’re welcome | Ole hyvä! (You’re welcome!) |
| Anteeksi | Sorry / Excuse me | Anteeksi, voinko kysyä jotain? (Excuse me, may I ask something?) |
| Kyllä | Yes | Kyllä, ymmärrän. (Yes, I understand.) |
| Ei | No | Ei, en halua kahvia. (No, I don’t want coffee.) |
| Mitä kuuluu? | How are you? | Hei, mitä kuuluu? (Hi, how are you?) |
| Hyvin | Fine/Well | Minulla menee hyvin. (I’m doing well.) |
💡 Tip: Greetings are an important part of Finnish politeness. Even a simple Hei or Kiitos creates a positive impression, especially when traveling or meeting locals for the first time.
3. Numbers & Counting
Numbers are some of the most practical items in the 1000 most common Finnish words list. Whether you’re shopping, telling time, or asking for directions, knowing how to count in Finnish makes everyday conversations much easier.
Finnish numbers are fairly straightforward once you learn the base digits (1–10). After that, larger numbers are formed in logical combinations. For example, “11” is literally “one-ten-one” (yksitoista), and “21” is “two-ten-one” (kaksikymmentäyksi). This system continues consistently, which is good news for learners.
Basic Numbers (1–10)
| Number | Finnish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | yksi | Minulla on yksi koira. (I have one dog.) |
| 2 | kaksi | Ostin kaksi kirjaa. (I bought two books.) |
| 3 | kolme | Meitä on kolme. (There are three of us.) |
| 4 | neljä | Neljä opiskelijaa tuli tunnille. (Four students came to class.) |
| 5 | viisi | Hän söi viisi omenaa. (He ate five apples.) |
| 6 | kuusi | Kuusi ihmistä odottaa ulkona. (Six people are waiting outside.) |
| 7 | seitsemän | Bussi lähtee seitsemältä. (The bus leaves at seven.) |
| 8 | kahdeksan | Kahdeksan tuntia unta on hyvä. (Eight hours of sleep is good.) |
| 9 | yhdeksän | Hänellä on yhdeksän kynää. (She has nine pens.) |
| 10 | kymmenen | Hänellä on kymmenen ystävää. (He has ten friends.) |
Teens & Tens
| Number | Finnish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | yksitoista | Kello on yksitoista. (It’s eleven o’clock.) |
| 12 | kaksitoista | He ovat kaksitoista vuotiaita. (They are twelve years old.) |
| 20 | kaksikymmentä | Lippu maksaa kaksikymmentä euroa. (The ticket costs twenty euros.) |
| 30 | kolmekymmentä | Huoneessa on kolmekymmentä tuolia. (There are thirty chairs in the room.) |
| 40 | neljäkymmentä | Neljäkymmentä ihmistä osallistui. (Forty people attended.) |
| 50 | viisikymmentä | Viisikymmentä prosenttia opiskelijoista läpäisi kokeen. (Fifty percent of students passed the exam.) |
Larger Numbers
| Number | Finnish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | sata | Lippu maksaa sata euroa. (The ticket costs 100 euros.) |
| 200 | kaksisataa | Hänellä on kaksisataa kirjaa. (He has 200 books.) |
| 1,000 | tuhat | Kaupungissa on tuhat taloa. (There are a thousand houses in the city.) |
| 2,000 | kaksituhatta | Konsertissa oli kaksituhatta ihmistä. (There were 2,000 people at the concert.) |
| 10,000 | kymmenentuhatta | He keräsivät kymmenentuhatta euroa. (They raised ten thousand euros.) |
4. Travel & Survival Phrases
When traveling in Finland, knowing a few common survival phrases can make your trip smoother and friendlier. These phrases help in asking for directions, ordering food and drinks, or finding essential services like a hotel or restroom.
| Finnish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Missä…? | Where…? | Missä asema on? (Where is the station?) |
| Kuinka paljon tämä maksaa? | How much is this? | Kuinka paljon tämä maksaa? (How much is this?) |
| Vessa | Toilet | Missä on vessa? (Where is the toilet?) |
| Ravintola | Restaurant | Löysin hyvän ravintolan. (I found a good restaurant.) |
| Hotelli | Hotel | Hotelli on keskustassa. (The hotel is in the city center.) |
| Apteekki | Pharmacy | Tarvitsen apteekin. (I need a pharmacy.) |
| Poliisi | Police | Missä on poliisiasema? (Where is the police station?) |
| Auttakaa! | Help! | Auttakaa, olen eksynyt! (Help, I am lost!) |
| Pankki | Bank | Pankki on tuolla kadulla. (The bank is on that street.) |
| Juna | Train | Juna lähtee kello kahdeksan. (The train leaves at 8 o’clock.) |
| Lippu | Ticket | Tarvitsen lipun Helsinkiin. (I need a ticket to Helsinki.) |
| Vesi | Water | Voinko saada vettä, kiitos? (Can I get water, please?) |
| Ruoka | Food | Ruoka on todella hyvää täällä. (The food is really good here.) |
5. Food & Drinks Vocabulary
Food terms appear constantly in daily life, and they’re among the 1000 most common Finnish words every learner should know. Whether you’re at a ravintola (restaurant), ordering a drink at a café, or shopping at a market, these words help you navigate menus and conversations with ease.
| Finnish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ruoka | Food | Rakastan suomalaista ruokaa. (I love Finnish food.) |
| Juoma | Drink | Tilasin juoman. (I ordered a drink.) |
| Vesi | Water | Voinko saada vettä? (Can I have water?) |
| Kahvi | Coffee | Juon kahvia joka aamu. (I drink coffee every morning.) |
| Leipä | Bread | Syön leipää. (I eat bread.) |
| Olut | Beer | Otetaan olut! (Let’s have a beer!) |
| Kala | Fish | Söin kalaa lounaaksi. (I ate fish for lunch.) |
| Liha | Meat | Hän ei syö lihaa. (He doesn’t eat meat.) |
| Juusto | Cheese | Tämä juusto on herkullista. (This cheese is delicious.) |
| Maito | Milk | Voinko saada maitoa kahviin? (Can I have milk with my coffee?) |
| Keitto | Soup | Söimme kuumaa keittoa. (We ate hot soup.) |
| Salaatti | Salad | Tilasin salaatin lounaaksi. (I ordered a salad for lunch.) |
| Viini | Wine | Pöydässä on lasi viiniä. (There’s a glass of wine on the table.) |
| Jälkiruoka | Dessert | Haluatko jälkiruokaa? (Do you want dessert?) |
| Aamiainen | Breakfast | Aamiainen tarjoillaan kello kahdeksalta. (Breakfast is served at 8 o’clock.) |
| Lounas | Lunch | Lounas maksaa kymmenen euroa. (Lunch costs ten euros.) |
| Illallinen | Dinner | Söimme illallista ystävien kanssa. (We had dinner with friends.) |
6. Family & Relationships
| Finnish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Äiti | Mother | Äitini on kotona. (My mother is at home.) |
| Isä | Father | Isä työskentelee Helsingissä. (Father works in Helsinki.) |
| Veli | Brother | Minulla on yksi veli. (I have one brother.) |
| Sisko | Sister | Hänellä on kaksi siskoa. (She has two sisters.) |
| Ystävä | Friend | Hän on hyvä ystäväni. (He is my good friend.) |
| Aviomies | Husband | Aviomieheni on suomalainen. (My husband is Finnish.) |
| Vaimo | Wife | Vaimoni puhuu englantia. (My wife speaks English.) |
7. Common Verbs You Must Know
Verbs make up the backbone of sentences.
| Finnish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| olla | to be | Olen opiskelija. (I am a student.) |
| mennä | to go | Menemme kouluun. (We go to school.) |
| tulla | to come | Hän tulee tänne. (He is coming here.) |
| syödä | to eat | Syön pizzaa. (I eat pizza.) |
| juoda | to drink | Juon vettä. (I drink water.) |
| nähdä | to see | Näen sinut. (I see you.) |
| tietää | to know | Tiedän vastauksen. (I know the answer.) |
| haluta | to want | Haluan kahvia. (I want coffee.) |
8. Everyday Situations Vocabulary
Here are some basic Finnish words you’ll hear in daily life, organized by theme. Learning these terms makes it easier to navigate shops, transportation, and daily conversations in Finland.
| Theme | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Money | raha | money |
| hinta | price | |
| kortti | card | |
| käteinen | cash | |
| kuitti | receipt | |
| alennus | discount | |
| Transportation | juna | train |
| bussi | bus | |
| lentokone | airplane | |
| asema | station | |
| taksi | taxi | |
| pysäkki | bus stop | |
| metro | subway | |
| Weather | aurinko | sun |
| sade | rain | |
| lumi | snow | |
| tuuli | wind | |
| pakkanen | frost | |
| ukkonen | thunder | |
| pilvi | cloud | |
| Shopping | kauppa | shop/store |
| ostaa | to buy | |
| myyjä | salesperson | |
| asiakas | customer | |
| halpa | cheap | |
| kallis | expensive | |
| At Home | koti | home |
| huone | room | |
| sänky | bed | |
| ikkuna | window | |
| ovi | door | |
| keittiö | kitchen | |
| Technology | puhelin | phone |
| tietokone | computer | |
| internet | internet | |
| salasana | password | |
| sähköposti | ||
| Emergency | apua | help |
| poliisi | police | |
| sairaala | hospital | |
| lääkäri | doctor | |
| tulipalo | fire | |
| Time & Days | päivä | day |
| yö | night | |
| viikko | week | |
| kuukausi | month | |
| vuosi | year | |
| tänään | today | |
| huomenna | tomorrow |
Final Thoughts
The 1000 most common Finnish words are your gateway to real communication. Start with greetings, numbers, food, and travel phrases. Add verbs, family words, and daily vocabulary. Within weeks, you’ll notice how much more you understand.
👉 Download or build your own flashcards with these words, practice daily, and you’ll be able to handle conversations, read signs, and even enjoy Finnish media confidently.
Key takeaway: Focus on these core words first. They give you the highest return on effort and unlock the beauty of Finnish language and culture.