Editing User:Jukeboksi/Basic Finnish for tourists and travelers

'''Tervetuloa''', Welcome to Basic Finnish for tourists and travelers and '''kiitos''' for taking on elementary traveler Finnish. 
[[File:Suomen lippu valokuva.png|right|thumb|200px|'''Tervetuloa'''. You are welcome to Apotheker [[User:Jukeboksi|Jukeboksi's]] guide intended for learning meaningful Finnish you might actually use.]]

* fi."'''terve'''" == en."healthy"
* fi."'''tuloa'''" == en."of coming"
::* -> fi."'''Tervetuloa'''" == en."of healthy coming, to welcome"

The way to thank people in Finnish is "'''Kiitos'''" which literally translates to "a thank" (plural is ''''kiitoksia'''' and is a slightly more thanking expression). This is the most common way to thank a person in Finnish. 

Vast majority of Finns will switch to English if they encounter foreigners trying to apply less than perfect Finnish. This does not mean they do not appreciate the effort to try to learn some command of Finnish and to apply it but Finns just figure out the foreigners will not bother to learn the language spoken only by some 5 mln people. Assumption of English being the highest in common language is due to desire to be hospitable towards the non-native.

Knowing the [[w:International Phonetic Alphabet|International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA) helps greatly in this task as nearly all Finnish letters are pronounced as they are written and the IPA equivalent reads pretty much the same.

== At the airport / port / terminal ==

=== Get communications ===
[[File:R-kioski-logo yellow background December 27 2014.svg|thumb|right|240px|You will find [[w:R-kioski|R-kioski]] in most entry points to Finland and most public transport hubs. Here you can get '''prepaid sim cards''' and '''HSL travel cards''' and recharge both of them. Also single tickets are sold here for the same price as in the vending machines.]]
If you have a postpaid sim card from an EU country then roaming is not prohibitively expensive or even included in your package, but if you don't have a postpaid sim from EU then while you are at the airport, port or train station we could interest you in purchasing a prepaid sim card ('''prepaid simkortti''') from [[w:R-kioski|R-kioski]]. Prepaid sim cards are available at discount almost all of the time ([https://www.r-kioski.fi/tuotteet/prepaid-liittymat/prepaid-tarjoukset/ deals at R-kioski in Finnish]) The major operators offering prepaid sim cards are [https://www.dna.fi/prepaid-english DNA], [https://elisa.fi/asiakaspalvelu/aihe/english/ohje/prepaid_en/ Saunalahti] and [https://www.telia.fi/kauppa/liittymat/prepaid Telia]. These are really inexpensive with 24 hours of unlimited 4G data, unlimited domestic calls and SMS going for under 1€ / day.

Just talk English as "everyone" talks English here but feel free to use 'kiitos' and everyone will be impressed how well versed you are in Finnish as a foreigner. 

Now lets get your luggage to the hotel and you to enjoy Finland..

=== Get public transport ===
[[File:Ticket machine in Pasila.JPG|thumb|right|240px|A ticket vending machine can usually vend single tickets and recharge your travel pass. UI is in Finnish, Swedish and English only (lazy public sector engineer you know..)]]

Use '''[https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares Ticket types and fares of the Metropolitan Helsinki area (in English)]''' to figure out the best choice of public transport ticket for yourself. Available types are: 
# '''Single ticket''' is expensive and inconvenient for the traveler as they are valid for only 69 minutes (Helsinki internal) and 80 minutes (Helsinki-region). 
# '''Day and multi-day tickets''' (1-7 days) 
# '''Long duration pass''' (14-365 or more days). 

The longer period you purchase the lower the per time unit price gets.

At an R-kioski you can purchase single tickets, or much better: Get a public transport pass ('''[https://www.hsl.fi/en/information/hsl-card HSL travel card]''') that costs 5€. You can load money to purchase tickets at discounted prices in the vehicle or season (unlimited travel for a period) 

Download the '''[https://www.hsl.fi/en/app HSL App]''' (HSL == Helsinki Region Transport Authority) for [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fi.hsl.app Android] or [https://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/apple-store/id1340229182 iOS]. Within the app you can access the in-house '''traveler router''' and also '''purchase tickets''', once you have registered your credit card in the app. For people with Finnish postpaid sims also payment in the phone bill is possible. 

If you have an Android phone with NFC you could also find the '''[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bonwal.omamatkakortti Oma Matkakortti App]''' (Own travel pass) useful as it allows you to check the status of your travel pass with your phone.

* '''[https://www.reittiopas.fi/ Helsinki-region traveler router]''' will whisk you where you need to go.

=== Ride-hailing apps ===

Operating in the Helsinki region are at least the following ride-hailing services: 
# '''[[w:Uber|Uber]]'''[https://www.uber.com/ (.com)] ([https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ubercab Uber for Android] and [https://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/uber/id368677368 Uber for iOS]), 
# '''[[w:Bolt (transportation platform)|Bolt]]'''[https://bolt.eu/ (.eu)] ([https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ee.mtakso.client Bolt for Android] and [https://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/taxify/id675033630  Bolt for iOS])
# '''[[w:Yandex.Taxi#In_Finland|Yango]]'''[https://yango.yandex.com/ (.yandex.com)] ([https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yandex.yango Yango for Android] and [https://itunes.apple.com/fi/app/yango-book-a-car-online/id1437157286 Yango for iOS]).

=== Taxis ===
[[File:Taksi 20180526.jpg|thumb|left|200px|When the yellow light is on it means the taxi is unoccupied and you can flag it down.]]

Finland used to have a unified pricing system for taxis, but this was reformed in 2018 and that has lead to widely varying prices as the companies have different price setting models. A good thing that the reformation brought is that '''you can ask for the price for your trip in advance'''.

Ways to get a taxi:

# Flag one down by waving your hand when you see a taxi with the yellow light lit on the roof indicating that the taxi is not occupied
# There are various apps to get a taxi
# There are various numbers to call to get a taxi

== Choosing a sauna ==

[[File:Savukiuas rovaniemi.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The fi."'''kiuas'''" == en."stove" of a smoke sauna.]]
[[File:Smoke_sauna.JPG|right|thumb|300px|Oldschool sauna. No chimney ergo smoke sauna. These are actually some of the most enjoyable saunas around. Don't worry, the hotel sauna looks like in the picture below just more lavish and luxurious.]]

* fi."'''allas'''" == en."pool"
* fi."'''teltta'''" == en."tent"
* fi."'''löyly'''" == en."steam, quality of sauna experience"

[[File:20140529 harjutorin sauna.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[http://www.kotiharjunsauna.fi/ Kotiharjun sauna] is a public wood heated sauna in the heart of the [[w:Sörnäinen|Sörnäinen]] district in [[w:Helsinki|Helsinki]].]]

'''[https://saunat.co/en/public-saunas/ Saunat.co lists all public saunas in Finland]'''. 

Below you can find the public saunas of Helsinki.

* '''[http://www.allasseapool.fi/eng.html Allas Seapool]''' by the central market square with saunas, warm swimming pool (which floats in the sea) and the sea pool itself. Single ticket 12€, discounts for kids etc.
* '''[http://arlansauna.net/ Arlan Sauna]''' oldschool sauna since 1929. Kaarlenkatu 15. Single ticket 12€.
* '''[[w:Helsinki Swimming Stadium|Helsinki Swimming Stadium]]''' is an outdoor swimming stadium with milder and hotter saunas is an inexpensive and authentic way to experience sauna. Hammarskjöldintie 5. Single ticket 4€.
* '''[http://www.kotiharjunsauna.fi/ Kotiharjun Sauna]''' is the original wood heated public sauna in town. Open Tue-Sun 14:00-20:00 with bathing till 21:30. Harjutorinkatu 1. Single ticket 13€.
* '''[https://tilajakamo.fi/uutiset/lapinlahdessa-telttasauna/ Lapinlahden telttasauna]''' by the sea in the scenic Lapinlahti grounds open Fri and Sat 15-20 is renowned for their trademark smooth and mellow löyly administered by the 'Sauna Major'.
* '''[http://www.kulttuurisauna.fi/ Kulttuurisauna]''' is a public sauna situated in Hakaniemanranta by the seaside. Hakaniemenranta 17. Obs: No swimsuits or towels allowed in the sauna proper. Adults 15€, students 12€.
* '''[http://www.loylyhelsinki.fi/en/front-page/ Löyly]''' is a recently built designer sauna with sun decks and a restaurant in Hernesaari. This sauna is by the sea. Hernesaarenranta 4. A 2 hr sauna session is 19€ includes a towel, seat cover as well as soap and shampoo. 
* '''[http://www.saunahermanni.fi/ Sauna Hermanni]''' is a traditional sauna in the Hermanni district. Hämeentie 63. Single ticket 10€
* '''[http://www.sompasauna.fi/ Sompasauna]''' has 2 community run saunas by the sea and is free of charge but bringing löyly water (normal tap water) and firewood (available at gas stations) will be appreciated at this community-built and community-run sauna. If the sauna is cold (may occur off-peak hours) you should just heat it yourself.

'''Other saunas'''
* '''[https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/culture/recreation/recreation/saunas/saunas Saunas maintained by the City of Helsinki]''' in the city and also on recreational islands of Helsinki.
* '''[https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/culture/sports/indoor/swimming/swimming-halls Swimming halls maintained by the City of Helsinki]''' - These all include a sauna, many offer multiple saunas and the entry fees are very reasonable.
* '''[https://www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/culture/sports/outdoor/winter-swimming/winter-swimming-places Winter swimming places in Helsinki]''' - These are maintained by winter swimming societies. '''Caution''': May not have a sauna available.

[http://www.helsinkisaunaday.fi/ Helsinki Sauna Day] is an event held on Saturdays annually or biannually. The plot is this: Saunas are heated and opened up to sauna-goers free-of-charge. This is an excellent way to discover quality saunas inaccessible normally. On the website you may either register your sauna to participate or to book seats in sauna waves (usually 1hr long slots). Not limited only to Helsinki.

== To the sauna ==

You want to experience the wonderfully indescribable soothing effect of the Finnish sauna. Excellent choice dear Sir/Madam.

Depending on your choice of sauna, i.e. municipal swimming hall, country-side cabin sauna, old-school commercial sauna a few exist, hotel or restaurant's sauna or one of the new design saunas that have recently sprung up the rules are slightly different but lingo is unchanged throughout Finnish sauna culture.

=== Getting to the sauna ===
[[File:Jimbo wales in sauna in finland.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Even geeks can do it.]]
[[File:Sauna 2.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Modern Finnish sauna, probably of a private individual]]
[[File:Saunalautta Vuoksella juhannusyönä.JPG|left|thumb|300px|A lavish floating sauna on photographed during [[w:Midsummer#Finland|Juhannus]] celebrations.]]
[[File:Mobile sauna umgebauter vw bus helsinki.jpg|thumb|400px|Saunas on wheels also exist in Finland. This one has been built into a [[w:Volkswagen Type 2|Volkswagen Type 2 Microbus]].]]
* fi."'''Missä?'''" is equivalent to the English expression en."Where?"
* fi."'''on'''" is the verb 'to be' for 3rd person singular in present tense and the plural is '''ovat'''

* fi."'''puku'''" == en."dressing, suit, costume"
* fi."'''huone'''" == en."room"
* fi."'''kalja'''" plural "kaljat" == en."beer" (slang) officially the word is '''olut''' but people call it kalja 

Now we are ready to form some useful sentences

::* fi."Missä on sauna?" == en."Where is the sauna?"
::* fi."Missä on pukuhuone?" == en."Where is the dressing room?"
::* fi."Missä ovat kaljat?" == en."Where are the beers?"
::* Now we can also form the compound word fi."pukuhuonekaljat" == en."dressing room beers", awesome!

* fi."'''Tarvitsen'''" == en."[I] need"
* ''''-ko'''' or ''''-kö''''-suffix always forms a question but is not the only way to do so.
* fi."'''pyyhkeen''' == en."a towel"
* fi."'''shampoo''' == en."shampoo"
* fi."'''uima''' == en."of swimming"
* fi."'''housut''' == en."pants"
* fi."'''uimahousut'''" == en."swimming trunks"
* fi."'''uimapuvun'''" == en."a swimsuit" 
Lets apply with what we know so far:
::* "Tarvitsenko pyyhkeen?" == en."Do I need a towel?"
::* "Onko kaljaa?" == en."Are there any beers?"

=== In the locker room ===

In private properties' saunas there are no lockers but many, except the most ad-hoc saunas, offer a lockable locker. Key is attached to a rubber ring (at the swimming hall) that is to be worn around the ankle.

This is usually the start of nudity area but sometimes people may go to the shower room with swim wear on and only there remove it to go to shower, sauna, shower, put swim wear on and hit the pool. 

* fi."'''päin'''" == en."the direction of"
* "Missä päin sauna on?" == en."In which direction the sauna is?". Follow the wave hand signal direction.

=== Shower room / bathing area ===

* In hotel and restaurant saunas toiletries will be provided by the establishment for the traveler. In private saunas these are also on the house. In other cases bring your own.


=== In the sauna ===

[[File:Finnish Vasta (Vihta).jpg|left|thumb|250px|'''Vihta''' (Western Finland dialect) or '''vasta''' (Eastern Finland dialect) is an essential sauna culture thing. It is a bunch of birch branches tied together with a birch branch and it is used for whacking self and/or others with it. Believe it or not it actually makes the sauna even more soothing in the end-game.]]

[[File:Cooling down near sauna.jpg|thumb|right|420px|The guy on the left has had it with the cold and heads back to the sauna with haste.]]

[[File:Icehole.jpg|right|thumb|420px|[[w:Winter swimming|Winter swimming]] is a high speed way to cool off and it releases a variety of wonderful chemicals onto the blood stream. For an even more intense rush you of course go for fi."Kieritään lumessa!" == en."Lets roll in the snow!"]]

* fi."'''Vihdo'''" == en."[you] whack with vihta"
* fi."'''lujempaa'''" == en."harder"

::* -> fi."Vihdo lujempaa" == en."Whack me harder with your vihta."

* fi."'''lisää'''" == en."more [of x]"
* fi."'''heitä'''" == en."[you] throw"
* fi."'''löyly'''", plural '''löylyt''' could be translated to "steam" but in fact löyly is a far wider concept i.e. it is not only about the heat and humidity percent. Löyly can also be used to refer to the quality of the löyly in a certain sauna.
* The suffix ''''-ä'''' or ''''-a'''' (determined if there are umlauted characters present in the word body or not) forms the partitive case.

Lets put that all together, you want more löyly you ask for:

::* -> fi."Lisää löylyä." == en."Throw some more water on the stones."
::* -> fi."Heitä löylyä" == same thing

* fi."'''hyvä'''" plural "'''hyvät'''" == en."good"
::* fi."Hyvät löylyt" == en."Good steams"

* fi."'''Helvetti'''" == en."Hell"
* fi."'''liian'''" == en."too much"
* fi."'''kuuma'''" == en."hot"

::* -> fi."Helvetti, liian kuuma" == en."Hell, it is too hot in here."

=== Getting out of the sauna ===
* fi."'''mennään'''" == en."lets go"
* fi."'''uimaan'''" == en."to swimming"
::* -> fi."Mennään uimaan" == en."Lets go swimming"

* fi.''''-lle''''-suffix == en."for someone/something, to somewhere, to somebody's place"
:: -> fi."Mennään kaljalle." == en."Lets go have a beer."

Then we go for the more extreme sauna cool down

* fi."'''Hypätään'''" == en."lets jump"
* fi."'''avanto'''" == en."ice hole"
* fi.''''-on'''' / ''''-ön''''-suffix == en."to inside"

::* -> fi."Hypätään avantoon" == en."Lets jump into the ice hole."

* fi."'''kieritään'''" == en."lets roll"
* fi."'''lumi'''" == en."snow"
* fi.''''-ssa'''' / ''''-ssä''''-suffix == en."in something"

::* -> fi."Kieritään lumessa!" == en."Lets roll in the snow!"

=== After the sauna ===

* fi."'''lonkero'''" == lit. "tentacle" but means a classic drink made of gin and fizzy grapefruit soda sold in bottles ever since the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. An alternative after sauna drink.
* fi."'''grillataan'''" == en."lets bbq"
* fi."'''lähdetään'''" == en."lets go"
* fi."'''ravintolaan'''" == en."to a restaurant"

== Special times in the sauna calendar ==

* [http://www.saunaday.fi/en/sauna-day-2/ Sauna Day] is a day when the saunas are heated and opened up to the public free of charge. Website has possibility to enroll a sauna or book a sauna slot. 

'''June'''
* [[w:Midsummer#Finland|Juhannus]] sauna with fresh vihta is enjoyed on the Friday closest to the summer [[w:solstice|solstice]]

'''July'''
* [http://mikkelinseutu.saunaday.fi/ Rantasauna Day] (not loading as of 2019-03-22) in the [[w:Mikkeli|Mikkeli]] area 

''' December '''
* Joulusauna on the Xmas eve afternoon is a family classic

'''Biannually'''
* [http://www.helsinkisaunaday.fi/ Helsinki Sauna Day] annual-to-biannual free sauna day in Helsinki and also elsewhere.

----

== Resources for learning Finnish ==
=== Beginners ===
* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/suomi-finnish All Finnish learning resources at YLE.fi] (YLE == Public Broadcasting Company of Finland)
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/oppiminen/suomen-kielen-alkeet Basic Finnish] at YLE.fi
::* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/04/11/finnish-alphabet-aakkoset Finnish Alphabet] at YLE.fi 
::* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/04/11/finnish-numbers-numerot Finnish Numbers] at YLE.fi
::* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/06/14/finnish-phrases-suomen-kielen-fraaseja Finnish Phrases] at YLE.fi
* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/speak-finnish-helppoa-suomea-aloittelijoille Speak Finnish] at YLE.fi
* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/supisuomea Supisuomea - Real Finnish] at YLE.fi with [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/01/14/supisuomea-videot 12 video courses] included. The course is fully in Finnish, but there are [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/sanastot glossaries] available in [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/04/suomi-english English], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-deutsch German], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-russkiy Russian], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-svenska Swedish], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-eesti-keel Estonian], [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-francais French] and [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/02/13/suomi-af-somali Somalian]

:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-1-persoonapronominit-verbin-persoonataivutus-ja-adjektiivit Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 1: Persoonapronominit, verbin persoonataivutus ja adjektiivit] - [[w:personal pronoun|personal pronoun]]s, [[w:verb|verb]] [[w:inflection|inflection]] and [[w:adjective|adjective]]s
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-2-lukusanat-ja-ajanilmaukset Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 2: Lukusanat ja ajanilmaukset] - [[w:Numeral (linguistics)|Numerals]] and telling time
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-3-arjen-kysymyksia-ja-astevaihtelu Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 3: Arjen kysymyksiä ja astevaihtelu] - Everyday questions and [[w:consonant gradation|consonant gradation]]
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-4-omistaminen-ja-oma-perhe Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 4: Omistaminen ja oma perhe] - [[w:Possession (linguistics)|Possession]] and my family members
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-5-paikallissijat-ja-vokaaliharmonia Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 5: Paikallissijat ja vokaaliharmonia] - Grammatical cases that indicate location or movement from or towards a location ([[w:fi:Paikallissija|fi:Paikallissija]]t) and [[w:vowel harmony|vowel harmony]] 
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-6-imperfekti-seka-asiointia-preesensissa Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 6: Imperfekti sekä asiointia preesensissä] - [[w:Imperfect|Imperfect]] and everyday situations in [[w:present tense|present tense]]
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-7-suomalaista-ruokaa-ja-partitiivi Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 7: Suomalaista ruokaa ja partitiivi] - [[w:Finnish cuisine|Finnish cuisine]] and the [[w:partitive|partitive]] case
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-8-matkustussanastoa-imperatiivi-ja-konditionaali Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 8: Matkustussanastoa, imperatiivi ja konditionaali] - Language for traveling, [[w:Imperative mood|imperative]] and [[w:conditional mood|conditional]] [[w:Grammatical mood|moods]]
:* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2016/01/27/supisuomea-osa-9-suomalaisia-tapoja-ja-kulttuuria Supisuomea - Real Finnish - Unit 9: Suomalaisia tapoja ja kulttuuria] - Finnish [[w:Social norm|customs]] and [[w:Culture of Finland|culture]]

=== Intermediate ===

* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/asiointisuomea Asiointisuomea - Finnish for Practical Purposes] at YLE.fi suitable for self-studies for A2.1 and B2.1 level students
* [https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/ykitreenit-tavoitteena-yleinen-kielitutkinto-suomen-kielessa YKItreenit] - tavoitteena [[w:fi:yleinen kielitutkinto]] ([[w:YKI test]]) suomen kielessä at YLE.fi