Learn Finnish | FinnishPod101.com

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Elias Lönnrot Elias Lönnrot saattaa olla Suomen kirjallisuushistorian tärkein henkilö, sillä hän kokosi Kalevalan, suomalaisesta kansanrunoudesta koostuvan kansalliseepoksen. Lönnrot oli ammatiltaan lääkäri, mutta hänen harrastuksensa oli filologia ja runojen kerääminen suomalaisesta suullisesta kansanperinteestä. Lönnrot syntyi Sammatin kylässä, ja hän aloitti lääketieteen opintonsa Turun akatemiassa. Samana vuonna, jolloin hän aloitti opintonsa, yliopisto ja puolet Turun kaupungista tuhoutui Turun suuressa palossa. Lönnrot siirtyi Helsingin yliopistoon saattamaan lääketieteen tutkintonsa päätökseen. Hänestä tuli lääkäri pohjoissuomalaiseen Kajaanin kaupunkiin, mutta maata vaivasi niihin aikoihin suuri nälänhätä. Nälänhätä oli niin paha, että edellinen lääkäri oli eronnut virastaan. Lönnrot alkoi kerätä kansantarinoita vuonna 1827 ja alkoi kiertää maata sapattivapaillaan kerätäkseen yhä enemmän tarinoita. Hän kirjoitti myös ensimmäisen merkittävän kasvitieteellisen kirjan suomenkielellä. Lopulta hän päätti aloittaa tarinoiden kokoamisen yhtenäiseksi juoneksi, vaikka tiedemiehet eivät välttämättä usko niiden alun perin olevan tarkoitettu kulkemaan yhdessä. Tästä huolimatta Kalevala on monien mielestä tärkein suomenkielinen kirjallinen teos. Eepos oli erittäin keskeisessä asemassa Suomen kansallisen identiteetin kehityksessä. ----Formal English---- Elias Lonnrot Elias Lonnrot may be the most important figure in Finnish literary history because he is credited with compiling the Kalevala, a national epic that he drew together from various pieces of Finnish folklore. By trade, Lonnrot was a doctor, although his hobby was philology and collecting poetry from the Finnish oral tradition. Lonnrot was born in the city of Sammatti, and he started studying for his medical degree at the Academy of Turku. However, the same year he began his studies, the university and about half of the town it was in burned down in the Great Fire of Turku. He transferred to the University of Helsinki to finish his medical degree. He became a doctor in Kajaani in the northern part of the country, but there was a great famine going on at the time. The famine was so bad that the previous doctor had resigned. In 1827 his began to collect folk stories, and he began to go on sabbaticals throughout the country to collect even more stories. He also wrote the first important botany book in the Finnish language. Eventually he decided to start weaving these stories together into one cohesive plot, although scholars do not necessarily believe that they originally were supposed to go together. Nonetheless, the Kalevala is considered by many to be the most important literary work in the Finnish language. The epic was especially important when it came to the development of the national identity of Finland. --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Miten tätä syödään? Onko tämä raskasta ruokaa? ----Formal English---- How do you eat this? Is this a heavy food? --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101.com! You have just moved, and for the past two weeks you have struggled to find your way around the town, the university, and your work. In fact, you haven't even had a chance to meet anyone. Well, tonight, that is going to change. You dress nicely and head out the door to meet some new friends, but once you get to the Finnish café where you always see crowds of people sitting around chatting, you realize you don't know how to begin a conversation in Finnish. Back home you would have broken the ice by talking about something common to everyone...the weather!! That's your ticket to making friends! You approach a table of people your age and ask in Finnish, "Is the weather always this hot here?" Smiling, one of the ladies at the table responds in Finnish, "Today is sunny with occasional clouds, but sometimes the sun bakes us here!" Another person at the table speaks up and says inFinnish, "You're not from around here are you? (Your accent must have given it away.) What is the weather like where you are from?" An hour later, the world's best conversation starter has helped you make new friends! FinnishPod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn Finnish! This Finnish Video Vocabulary lesson will teach you how to talk about the world's best conversation starter in Finnish - the weather! In this Finnish vocabulary video, you will learn Finnish by watching the video, seeing both Finnish and Finnish translations describing the video, and all while listening to the Finnish translations being read aloud by our native Finnish speakers. Visit us at FinnishPod101.com where you will find many more great Finnish lessons and learning materials! Leave us a message while you are there!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Mika Waltari Mika Waltari oli historiallisten romaanien kirjailija, jonka kuuluisin teos on Sinuhe egyptiläinen. Tämän suomalaisen kirjailijan teoksia on käännetty 30 kielelle. Monet suomalaiset pitävät häntä yhtenä maansa parhaana 1900-luvun kirjailijana. Waltari syntyi Helsingissä, ja hänen isänsä kuoli Waltarin ollessa vain 5-vuotias. Hän oli vasta lapsi, kun Suomen sisällissota alkoi maan pääkaupungissa. Myöhemmin hän opiskeli teologiaa Helsingin yliopistossa, äitinsä toivomuksesta. Waltari itse oli kiinnostunut kirjallisuudesta, estetiikasta ja filosofiasta. Yliopistossa ollessaan hän alkoi kirjoittaa aikakauslehdille. Ensimmäisen kirjansa Waltari julkaisi vuonna 1925, ja pian sen jälkeen hän muutti Pariisiin, jossa hän kirjoitti ensimmäisen merkittävän teoksensa, Suuren Illusionin. Monet kriitikot rinnastavat romaanin amerikkalaisten, ensimmäisen maailmansodan aikaisten kirjailijoiden teoksiin. Uransa aikana Waltari matkusteli paljon Euroopassa, toimitti aikakauslehtiä ja kirjoitti sanomalehtiin eri puolilla maanosaa. Hänen oli helppo siirtyä tyylilajista toiseen vaivattomasti. Hän voitti urallaan monia kirjallisuuskilpailuja. Yksi hänen tunnetuimmista hahmoistaan, Komisario Palmu, sai alkunsa yhdestä näihin kilpailuihin kirjoitetusta teoksesta. Toisen maailmansodan aikana hän ryhtyi kirjoittamaan poliittista propagandaa, joka sai osakseen paljon julkisuuta ja suurta menestystä. Tähän aikaan hän kirjoitti ensimmäisen kuuluisan romaaninsa, Sinuhe egyptiläinen. ----Formal English---- Mika Waltari Mika Waltari was a historical novelist whose most popular work was The Egyptian. The Finnish author's books have been translated into over thirty different languages. Many Finns consider him to be one of their nation's best writers from the twentieth century. Waltari was born in Helsinki, and his father died when he was just five years old. He was still a child when the Finnish Civil War began in the nation's capital. He later entered University of Helsinki to study theology, which was the course of study his mother wanted him to pursue. However, he preferred other topics like literature, aesthetics, and philosophy. While he was still at the university, he began writing for magazines. He published his first book in 1925, and a couple of years after that he moved to Paris, which was where he wrote The Grand Illusion, his first major work. Many critics compare that novel to the American writers who came of age during the First World War. Waltari traveled widely throughout Europe during his career, editing a magazine and writing for newspapers throughout the continent. He seemed to be able to move from genre to genre easily without much thought. He won many literary competitions throughout the course of his career as well. Inspector Palmu, one of his most well-known characters, was born in a piece he wrote for one such competition. It wasn't until World War II when he began writing political propaganda that he became famous and extremely successful. This was the time when he wrote his famous novel The Egyptian. --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101.com! Staring out the window at work today, you noticed some rain clouds rolling in. One of your coworkers heard a reporter on the radio say that there is a high probability the city will see torrential downpours too. Back home you have seen the very worst of thunderstorms, so you really weren't too worried...that is, until you got off work! As you walk out the door of your office, you are astonished to see that those little rainclouds have now turned into huge back clouds shadowing the city! You decide you just need to get home quickly. However, as you are driving home the rain starts coming down so hard you can't see the road in front of you! You pull over and flip on the radio, hoping you can make out enough Finnish to pick up what they are saying on the weather reports. Unfortunately, the reporters and meteorologists are all talking so rapidly and excitedly that you can't make out anything they are saying in Finnish. Too bad too...because one man just reported in Finnish, "The hurricane is blowing in from the sea!!!" Sitting on the side of the highway in your car is probably not the safest place to be, but then, you don't know what's coming anyway... FinnishPod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn Finnish! This Finnish Video Vocabulary lesson will teach you how to talk about natural disasters in Finnish. In this Finnish vocabulary video, you will learn Finnish by watching the video, seeing both Finnish and Finnish translations describing the video, and all while listening to the Finnish translations being read aloud by our native Finnish speakers. Visit us at FinnishPod101.com where you will find many more great Finnish lessons and learning materials! Leave us a message while you are there!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Leena Krohn Suomalainen kirjailija Leena Krohn syntyi Helsingissä vuonna 1947. Hän on ollut erittäin tuottelias kirjailija, ja on julkaissut suuria määriä novelleja, romaaneja, esseitä ja lastenkirjoja. Hän on saanut osakseen ainakin 30 kunnianosoitusta, ja hänen kirjojaan on käännetty ainakin 14 eri kielelle. Kriitikot sanovat hänen kirjoittavan tavalla, joka pohtii erilaisia maailmankatsomuksia, erityisesti illuusion ja todellisen maailman välistä rajaa. Hän käyttää usein keinoälyä mielikuvituksensa ilmaisuvälineenä, ja hänen tarinoissaan todellisen elämän osat punoutuvat tiukasti fiktioon. Krohnin aikaiset teokset ovat lastenkirjoja, mutta hän vaihtoi aikuisten kirjallisuuteen vuonna 1983. Yksi hänen suosituimmista kirjoistaan on Tainaron, jonka tapahtumat sijoittuvat hyönteiskaupunkiin. Kirja on oikeastaan romaanin ja novellin ainutlaatuinen yhdistelmä. Toinen esimerkki Krohnin analyyttisestä mielikuvituksesta on hänen kirjansa Pereat Mundus, joka julkaistiin vuonna 1998. Kaikki hahmot näyttävät olevan jonkinlaisia kahden eri eläinlajin geneettisiä yhdistelmiä. Kirjassa esiintyy muun muassa khimaira, joka on apinan, ihmisen, vuohen ja suden yhdistelmä. Vuonna 1992 Krohn voitti Suomen kirjasäätiön arvostetun parhaan kaunokirjallisen teoksen Finlandia-palkinnon teoksellaan Matemaattisia olioita ja jaettuja unia, joka on oikeastaan esseenovellien kokoelma. Hänen teoksensa Tainaron oli ehdokkaana sekä International Horror Guild -palkinnon että World Fantasy -palkinnon voittajaksi vuonna 2005. ----Formal English---- Leena Krohn Finnish writer Leena Krohn was born in Helsinki in 1947. She has been a very prolific writer, turning out a high volume of short stories, novels, essays, and children's books. So far, she has at least thirty different credits to her name, and her books have been translated into at least fourteen different languages. Critics say she writes in a way that weighs different views of the world, especially the line between illusion and real life. She often uses artificial intelligence as the vehicle for her flights of fancy, and her stories typically take aspects of real life and intertwine them tightly with fiction. Krohn's initial works were children's books, but she switched over to writing for adults in 1983. One of her most popular books was Tainaron, which takes place in an insect city. The book is actually a unique mixture of novel and short story. Another example of her analytical imagination was her book Pereat Mundus, which was published in 1998. Each of the characters seem to be some kind of genetic combination of two types of species. For example, there is a chimera, which is some combination of a chimp, human, goat, and wolf. In 1992, Krohn won the Finnish Book Foundation's prestigious Finlandia Prize for best novel for her book Mathematical Beings or Shared Dreams, which was actually a collection of essays. Her book Tainaron received a nomination for both the International Horror Guild Award and the World Fantasy Award in 2005. --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101.com! Your Finnish pen pal in has asked you to stay with him for the week while you are visiting. You are really excited because you will be able to get to know him better and he is going to show you around town too! When you arrive, he promises a tour of the house right after you meet the family and have some dinner - it's been a long flight! As you make your way into his kitchen though, his mother looks very disgruntled. You ask your friend what is wrong and he replies in Finnish, "She is upset because she is hungry. My father just searched the refrigerator and there is nothing to eat!" Feeling a little more than awkward - in fact, totally obtrusive - you tell your friend in Finnish, "Well, we can go out for dinner. It's not a big deal." He quickly explains in Finnish, "We are going to enjoy a family meal at the table tonight so that we can all get to know each other better." And then you have a brilliant idea - pizza! Later that night as you sit around the table with your new friends, you tell your friends in Finnish, "I am glad everyone is enjoying the delicious pizza!! And more importantly, I am glad we decided to talk and chat and enjoy this meal together." FinnishPod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn Finnish! This Finnish Video Vocabulary lesson will teach you some important vocabulary you might use at the Finnish table. In this Finnish vocabulary video, you will learn Finnish by watching the video, seeing both Finnish and Finnish translations describing the video, and all while listening to the Finnish translations being read aloud by our native Finnish speakers. Visit us at FinnishPod101.com where you will find many more great Finnish lessons and learning materials! Leave us a message while you are there!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Haluaisin vuokrata auton. Haluaisin vuokrata skootterin. Haluaisin vuokrata moottoripyörän. Haluaisin vuokrata polkupyörän. Milloin minun täytyy palauttaa se? ----Formal English---- I would like to rent a car. I would like to rent a scooter. I would like to rent a motorbike. I would like to rent a bike. When must I return it? --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101.com! You are walking through the streets, enjoying your time off from school and work, when suddenly, you hear crying and yelling just ahead. As you get closer, you see a Finnish storeowner and a teenage boy screaming loudly at each other! The storeowner is very angry and throws his arms around in fury. You look around you for answers from the crowd...no one is helping in any way. Crying, the teenager sits at a nearby bench, moping. But the storeowner follows him and starts pushing him, yelling more loudly! You don't know what to do...but you feel you should do something. Pulling out your cell phone, you call the Finnish police station - they can handle it. The dispatcher on the other end asks you in Finnish, "I know you dislike what you hear, but please describe the scene for me so I can tell the police." You explain in Finnish, "There is a teenage boy, crying and moping. I see a very angry storeowner, yelling and complaining. And there is a scared woman running away, clutching her child to protect him." Within minutes, the police arrive and have the situation under control. Looks like your Finnish skills just helped make a very negative situation better. FinnishPod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn Finnish! This Finnish Video Vocabulary lesson will teach you how to talk about negative emotions in Finnish. In this Finnish vocabulary video, you will learn Finnish by watching the video, seeing both Finnish and Finnish translations describing the video, and all while listening to the Finnish translations being read aloud by our native Finnish speakers. Visit us at FinnishPod101.com where you will find many more great Finnish lessons and learning materials! Leave us a message while you are there!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Eino Leino Runoilija Eino Leino on monen mukaan suomalaisen runouden johtaja ja edelläkävijä, sillä hänen työnsä yhdistää runouden moderneja elementtejä perinteisempiin kansanrunoudellisiin ominaisuuksiin. Myös filosofi Friedrich Nietzschen vaikutus on ilmeistä hänen runoudessaan. Leinon työ on erittäin merkittävää, koska siinä on paljon samankaltaisuutta tärkeän suomalaisen eeppisen runon, Kalevalan, kanssa. Useat hänen teoksensa keskittyvät epätoivon, rakkauden ja luonnon teemoihin. Leino oli kymmenpäisen sisarusparven kuopus. Hän julkaisi ensimmäisen runonsa ollessaan vain 12-vuotias. Täytettyään 18 vuotta hän oli jo julkaissut ensimmäisen runokokoelmansa. Hän aloitti kirjallisuuden opiskelun Helsingin yliopistossa vuonna 1895, mutta keskeytti opinnot ennen valmistumista ja hankki itselleen toimittajan paikan muutaman sanomalehden palveluksessa. Myöhemmin hän yritti elvyttää suomalaista teatteria kirjoittamalla näytelmiä. Kun Suomen sisällissota alkoi, hän kauhistui näkemäänsä kavaluutta ja väkivaltaa. Sodan jälkeen hän menetti uskonsa Suomeen luotavaan kansalliseen yhtenäisyyteen. Leino julkaisi kaikkiaan noin 70 runo- ja novellikokoelmaa. Hänen Helkavirsiä kokoelmaansa ovat kuuluisimpia hänen teoksistaan, koska ne muistuttavat, ja niissä on eniten viittauksia suomalaisen kulttuurin perinteiseen kansanrunouteen ja myytteihin. Omien teoksiensa lisäksi Leino on saanut mainetta Danten Jumalaisen näytelmän kääntämisestä suomenkielelle. ----Formal English---- Eino Leino The poet Eino Leino is believed by many to be a leader and pioneer in Finnish poetry because his work takes modern elements of poetry and combines it with more traditional folk features. The influence of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is also evident in his poetry. His work is very significant because it is very similar to the important Finnish epic poem the Kalevala. Most of his work focuses on themes like despair, love, and nature. Leino was the youngest of ten children. When he was just twelve years old, he published his first poem. By the time he turned eighteen, he had also published his first collection of poems. He began studying literature at the University of Helsinki in 1895, but he dropped out before finishing his degree, instead taking journalist positions on a couple of newspapers. Later he tried to bring back the Finnish theatre, writing a few plays. When the Finnish Civil War began, he was horrified by the treachery and the violence that he witnessed. After that war, he lost faith in the creation of national unity within Finland. In all, Leino published about seventy poetry and short story collections. His two Helkavirsia collections are his most famous ones because they contain the most references and resemblance to traditional folklore and myths within the Finnish culture. In addition to his own writings, Leino is also credited with being the first one to translate Dante's Divine Comedy into the Finnish language. --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- ----Formal ---- Myyttekö pre-paid liittymiä? Yksi kymmenen euron pre-paid liittymä, kiitos. Yksi viidentoista euron pre-paid liittymä, kiitos. Onko täällä lähellä yleisöpuhelinta? ----Formal English---- Do you have telephone cards? A 9.90 prepaid cell phone card, please. A €15 prepaid cell phone card, please. Is there a public phone near here? --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!

Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources! -------Lesson Dialog------- --------------------------- Learn Finnish with FinnishPod101! Don't forget to stop by FinnishPod101.com for more great Finnish Language Learning Resources!