The Lingoberry Blog
Language-learning tips, culture, and stories from Pip
Hygge and fika had their moment. Here are nine Finnish words that deserve theirs
Denmark has hygge and Sweden has fika. Finland has sisu, ikävä and a unit of distance measured in reindeer. Nine Finnish words that take a sentence to explain, and why none of them is truly untranslatable.
El or la? Learning Spanish gender as a Finn
Finnish has one word for "he" and "she" and no articles at all. So when Spanish asked me whether a table is masculine or feminine, I had nothing to go on.
Kekri: Finland's forgotten Halloween (and the words that come with it)
Before Finland had Halloween, it had Kekri: a harvest festival with turnip lanterns, masked goats and its own "trick or treat". Meet the history, the vocabulary and a spooky little dialogue.
Finnish has two languages (and you probably only know one)
You've studied Finnish — conjugated verbs, declined nouns, maybe even survived partitive case. Then you watch a Finnish TV show and understand nothing. Welcome to puhekieli, spoken Finnish, where pronouns shrink, words fuse together, and letters vanish. This guide breaks down the system so you can finally understand how Finns actually talk.
Finnish has no future tense — so how does anyone make plans?
Finnish has no future tense. None. So how does an entire nation plan holidays, book appointments, and promise to pay you back? The answer makes English look like the strange one.
Lingonberry: Finland's "red gold"
Finland's "red gold" is more than just a berry — it shaped mythology, saved lives through harsh winters, and remains a cherished national tradition. Discover the story behind Pip's namesake.
