1000 Words

Learn Finnish – start with the 1000 most important words

Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Finnish vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and native-speaker audio.

Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.

A taste: Finnish vocabulary with example sentences

EnglishFinnishExample sentence
the appleomenaI eat the apple.
Syön omenan.
the bookkirjaShe reads the book.
Hän lukee kirjaa.
the catkissaThe cat is sleeping.
Kissa nukkuu.
the dogkoiraThe dog is barking.
Koira haukkuu.
the carautoHe drives the car.
Hän ajaa autoa.
the housetaloWe live in a house.
Me asumme talossa.
the chairtuoliShe sits on the chair.
Hän istuu tuolilla.
the tablepöytäPut the book on the table.
Laita kirja pöydälle.
the windowikkunaOpen the window.
Avaa ikkuna.
the dooroviClose the door.
Sulje ovi.
the pencillyijykynäI write with the pencil.
Kirjoitan lyijykynällä.
the paperpaperiThe paper is on the table.
Paperi on pöydällä.
the schoolkouluThe school is big.
Koulu on iso.
the teacheropettajaThe teacher teaches math.
Opettaja opettaa matematiikkaa.
the studentopiskelijaThe student is studying.
Opiskelija opiskelee.
the boypoikaThe boy is playing.
Poika leikkii.
the girltyttöThe girl is singing.
Tyttö laulaa.
the adultaikuinenThe adult is working.
Aikuinen työskentelee.
the friendystäväMy friend is here.
Ystäväni on täällä.
the treepuuThe tree is tall.
Puu on korkea.

The 100 most important Finnish words →

Essential Finnish verbs & adjectives

to accepthyväksyä
to addlisätä
to agreeolla samaa mieltä
to allowsallia
to askkysyä
to believeuskoa
to borrowlainata
to breakrikkoa
to bringtuoda
to buildrakentaa

Finnish sentences for beginners

I like applesPidän omenoista.
She is my friendHän on ystäväni.
It is a sunny dayOn aurinkoinen päivä.
He runs fastHän juoksee nopeasti.
We are happyMe olemme onnellisia.
They play soccerHe pelaavat jalkapalloa.

How you learn Finnish with 1000 Words

🎬 Learning videos

Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.

🎧 Audiobooks

All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.

📖 Ebooks & PDFs

All words and sentences to look up and read offline.

🧠 Vocabulary trainer

Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.

✨ AI stories

Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.

📴 Offline mode

Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need to understand Finnish?

With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.

Does learning Finnish while sleeping really work?

Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.

Is 1000 Words free?

Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.

Who is 1000 Words for?

For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Finnish vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with native-speaker audio.

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