Here are some basic Finnish phrases which you can use in everyday conversation, as well as some common words you will see on signs.
| Kyllä | Yes |
| Joo | Yeah (colloquial) |
| Ei | No |
| ehkä or kenties | Maybe |
| Kiitos | Thanks |
| kiitos paljon or paljon kiitoksia | Thanks very much |
The following are some polite ways you can reply to someone who thanks you:
| Ole hyvä | You're welcome |
| Ei kestä | Don't mention it |
| Eipä kestä | Not at all |
Saying hello and goodbye
Here are some different ways to greet people:
| Hyvää huomenta | Good morning (used before noon) |
| Hyvää päivää | Good afternoon (used from noon until around 5pm) |
| Hyvää iltaa | Good evening (used from around 5pm) |
The following expressions, on the other hand, are some different things you can say when saying goodbye:
| Näkemiin | Goodbye |
| Hyvää yötä | Goodnight |
| Nähdään! | See you! |
| Nähdään pian! | See you soon! |
| Hauskaa päivänjatkoa! | Have a nice day! |
| Hauskaa viikonloppua! | Have a good weekend! |
Getting someone's attention and apologising
| Anteeksi | Excuse me (can be used to get someone's attention, to get past someone, or to apologise) |
If someone apologises to you, you can reply using one of the following expressions:
Making yourself understood
| Puhutko englantia? | Do you speak English? |
| Puhutko suomea? | Do you speak Finnish? |
| En puhu suomea | I don't speak Finnish |
| En puhu hyvin suomea | I don't speak much Finnish |
| Puhun vähän suomea | I speak a little Finnish |
| Voisitko puhua hitaammin? | Could you speak more slowly, please? |
| Voisitko kirjoittaa sen ylös? | Could you please write it down? |
| Voisitko toistaa, kiitos? | Could you please repeat that? |
| Ymmärrän | I understand |
| En ymmärrä | I don't understand |
Other basic phrases
| Tiedän | I know |
| En tiedä | I don't know |
| Anteeksi, missä on vessa? | Excuse me, where's the toilet? |
Things you might see
| Sisäänkäynti | Entrance |
| Uloskäynti | Exit |
| Hätäuloskäynti | Emergency exit |
| WC | WC |
| Miehet | Gentlemen |
| Naiset | Ladies |
| Vapaa | Vacant |
| Varattu | Occupied |
| Epäkunnossa | Out of order |
| Tupakointi kielletty | No smoking |
| Yksityinen | Private |
| Ei sisäänkäyntiä | No entry |
