Language
Tips and info about Finnish language and common phrases
About Finland
Welcome to the the happiest country in the world!
Finland is selected as the happiest country in the world for the 8th time in a row! - Fortune Magazine, March 20, 2025.
Image from visitjyvaskyla.fi
Finland is a Nordic welfare state that aims to be carbon neutral by 2035. It’s also the happiest country in the world. Around 75% of its surface is covered with forests, and it has the world’s biggest archipelago, as well as Europe’s largest lake district and last untamed wilderness, Lapland. Finland’s capital, Helsinki, is known for design and architecture. Finland is also a safe travel destination – 11 out of 12 lost wallets are returned to their owners.
More tips and facts about Finland.
Source: visitfinland.fi
Finland has four amazing seasons (and then some)
Every day is different here, so weather is a good topic of discussion.
- Winter - from late November to March, you will get lots of snow, temperatures varying from +5 to -35 Celsius, and lots of sunshine on the wintery spring days.
- Spring - From March to May, expect long days of sunlight, blossoming trees and flowers and people coming out of their wintery hiding places. During this period temperature varies from freezing temperatures in Lapland to +25 in Southern parts of Finland.
- Summer - June to August, even more sunlight, almost 24 hours a day in late June, over 30 degress of warmth and sometimes mosquitos.
- Autumn - September to mid-October there is a period when the air is clear, trees have amazing colors and days can be warm, over 20 degrees still.
And then... then there is the period in late October to late November, when its dark, it might be raining, it can snow, it can rain freezing sleetstorms and the leaves of the trees have fallen. Its cold -5 to +5, windy, dreary and miserable.
Welcome to Plone Conference 2025: October 13-19!
Photo by Atacan Ergin
Finnish people
Finns generally aren’t big on small talk, and quiet moments in conversations aren’t considered awkward. Finns tend to mean what they say – if someone asks you to get together for lunch sometime soon, expect to get a text, e-mail or phone call. Finally, Finns are known for their modesty and self-deprecating sense of humour.
More truths (and some half-truths) about Finns.
Source: visitfinland.fi
How to make friends in Finland?
This is a nice blog post by Shaswato Sarker, a student at the university.
Here are some quotes from the post.
Stereotypes about Finns might have made you forget one very crucial but constant law about humanity.
Yes, culture influences who you are, and the long dark climate, the cold winters, and quiet social scene makes the Finns a tiny bit more introverted than other nationalities, say Indians or Brazilians.
Be the first to approach a Finn
Let me repeat that once more. Be the first one to approach.
After the initial inertia of awkwardness, you’ll find the Finn opening up in a very heartfelt way. Even if they are not drunk. Almost every Finnish person speaks very good English. So even if their language is very hard, you’ll have zero trouble communicating in English. And it’s only the hardest to make that first Finnish friend. After you get a genuine connection going with one Finn, though, the doors to making more friends open up.
So, even if we Finns might seem silent and distant at first, we will open up after someone dares to make the first contact :)
