The best way to learn Finnish is a mix: mostly Finnish you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Finnish you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Finnish Work Best?
Reading and listening to Finnish at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows, podcasts and the news | Finnish at natural speed | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why the end of a word changes | Patterns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Finnish for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Live in FinlandRead and hear Finnish about everyday life most of the time, such as shopping and visits to the doctor, and practice those talks with a tutor.
- Pass the YKI TestRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the example questions linked from the official YKI page as the test gets close.
- Work in FinnishRead and hear Finnish about your field most of the time, and practice the talks you have at work with a tutor.
- Watch Finnish ShowsPut most of your time into listening, starting with Yle's news in Easy Finnish and moving on to series on Yle Areena with Finnish subtitles.
- Travel to FinlandSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Finnish.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Yle's news in Easy Finnish for listening or Anki for review, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Finnish lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A course for the basics | Duolingo's Finnish course, which is free | Pimsleur for audio lessons you answer out loud, or Mango Languages, which many libraries offer for free |
| Reading and listening at your level | News in Easy Finnish, with audio, on Yle Uutiset selkosuomeksi and Selkosanomat | Bubblegum, LingQ or Lingvis |
| Shows, podcasts and videos | Yle Areena for programs in Easy Finnish, Helppoa suomea for a podcast with transcripts | Language Reactor, which shows Finnish subtitles beside a translation on Netflix and YouTube |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk or Tandem | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Uusi kielemme, a free site that explains Finnish grammar in English | FinnishPod101, whose lesson notes explain the grammar in each dialogue |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you away from real Finnish sentences you can follow.
- Reading Finnish Like EnglishIn Finnish, j sounds like an English y, as in jäätelö (ice cream), and ä sounds like the a in cat, as in äiti (mother), so play the audio as you read.
- Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, such as Menen kauppaan (I'm going to the shop), so each one comes with its ending and an example of how it is used.
- Series You Can't Follow YetSave Finnish series for when you can follow a scene with Finnish subtitles on, and watch videos made for learners, such as Suomea Jarnon kanssa, before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Finnish with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own. Some Preply tutors help learners get ready for the YKI test.
Should I learn Finnish grammar first?
No. Start reading and listening right away, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Asun Suomessa (I live in Finland) and Olen Helsingissä (I'm in Helsinki), it is easy to see that -ssa or -ssä at the end of a word means “in”.
What is the YKI test?
The YKI test is Finland's official language test, run by the Finnish National Agency for Education, with basic, intermediate and advanced levels. Each test has four parts, listening, speaking, reading and writing, and each part gets its own grade. It is one way to show your Finnish skills when you apply for Finnish citizenship.
Which Finnish app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Finnish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Finnish app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- Finnish National Agency for Education: National Certificates of Language Proficiency (YKI), with three levels and four subtests
- Finnish National Agency for Education: Before the YKI test (example questions and practice tips)
- Selkosanomat: news in Easy Finnish, with audio for each article
- Yle: Uutiset selkosuomeksi (news in Easy Finnish)
- Helppoa suomea podcast (free transcripts for each episode)
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Finnish (free language exchange)
- Uusi kielemme: Finnish for Busy People (free Finnish grammar explained in English)
