Sisu is the secret, internal emergency generator that keeps you going when you have used up all your energy but there are still things left that just need to be done. The word is often considered untranslatable, but the American expression "true grit" gets pretty close. The corresponding adjective is sisukas.
Hilla on sisukas nainen.\
Hilla is a woman with sisu/true grit.
Sauna is the most widely spread Finnish word. Although what constitutes as a sauna in most places, is considered in Finland a room that is slightly warmer than usual. Moreover, if you are not allowed to throw water on the sauna stove, it is not a proper sauna.
Kantele is a Finnish string instrument with a distinctive jingling sound. The first one was built by the great wizard Väinämöinen out of the jawbone of a gargantuan pike. Fact.
To be
The singular present tense forms of olla, "to be":
Finnish
English
olen
(I) am
olet
(you) are
on
(s/he) is
In Standard Finnish, the words minä, "I", and sinä, the singular "you", are optional when they are in the subject position. Hän, however, needs to be included.
Minä olen ujo./Olen ujo.
I am shy.
Sinä olet rehellinen./Olet rehellinen.
You are honest.
Hän on hiljainen.
S/he is quiet.
Although common in writing, leaving out personal pronouns is rarer in spoken Finnish.
Order!
In sentences with the verb olla, "to be", the more complete a noun is, the earlier it appears. The later a noun appears, the less complete it is, and the more likely it is to be translated with an indefinite article.
Hän on ujo poika.
He is a shy boy.
However, the English language has so many ways of using articles in generalisations that sometimes an indefinite article starts such a sentence.
Hyvä sauna on aina suomalainen.
A good sauna is always Finnish.
In Finnish, that sauna is considered complete, since we are talking about all the good saunas in the world here.
Family names
Finnish last names can usually be found in nature. The most common last names can be divided into four groups:
Last name
Notes
Pöllö
"Owl" - noun
Pöllönen
"Of Owl", or "Little Owl" - noun with the ending nen
Pöllölä
"Owl Place" - noun with the ending la/lä
Pöllövaara
"Owl Fell/Hill/Danger" - compound word that has probably replaced a name in some other language
Knowing me, knowing you
The shortest way to introduce someone is to use the phrase Tämä on..., "This is..":
Joni, tämä on Anna.
Joni, this is Anna.
Finns are very informal, but just in case you get invited to the Presidential Independence Day Ball, or to some other very formal event, the Finnish equivalents of "Mr." and "Ms." are herra and rouva.
Herra Presidentti, tämä on rouva Pöllönen.
Mr. President, this is Ms. Pöllönen.
Bravo!
The word hyvä, "good", can be used in the meaning "bravo" to encourage other people. You can use it to support your country or friend at a sporting event, or to thank someone for work well done.