Oh the Finnish language. I might be beating a dead horse, but this language is truly unlike any other I’ve heard or attempted to speak. Unlike the Germanic, Celtic, Slavic, and Romance languages spoken in neighboring countries, Finnish is not an Indo-European language, but instead classified as a “Uralic Language”. This means Finnish shares more in common with languages like Hungarian and Estonian, which we all know are so widely spoken. The language has been very difficult, if not impossible to truly grasp in the time I have been here. Words are long and simply don’t have the built up vocabulary to keep up with a native speaker. Especially since they immediately switch to English at the first sight of my puzzled face. One benefit though, is the language is phonetic, so if I wanted to lookup a word to ask for something particular while out grocery shopping for example, at least I have a chance at being able to pronounce it.
I take great pride in the rare instances when I can blend into in the checkout line at the store or order a coffee all in Finnish, at least until my I’m asked a follow up question and the blank stare returns. A quick smile and the cashier switches straight to English to save me any further embarrassment. While it’s certainly a welcomed gesture, it doesn’t exactly help me expand my Finnish speaking skills. That might have to be a battle I’ll be okay with losing for now!
One quite useful phrase I have mastered comes in handy when a native Finnish speaker unfortunately picks me out of a sea of people to ask for directions: “Anteeksi, mina en puhu soumea”. I’m sure you might be able to guess, but this translates into “Sorry, I don’t speak Finnish” in English. It seems a bit odd to say I don’t speak Finnish in Finnish, but my butchering of the pronunciation probably just reinforces what I’m trying to communicate. In a more serious note, the actual most important word I’ve learned is “Kiitos”, which translates to “thank you”. No matter what language our conversation is in, being able to thank a native speaker in Finnish is gesture I can see is truly appreciated, as it always received with a warm smile! I truly can’t be thankful enough for how accommodating really everyone has been with my limited Finnish language skills, it’s important for me to at least be able to communicate this much.
