There are countless reasons to travel, get carried away, discover new corners and fall head over heels in love with the world … Today we are going to make you fall in love with charming Finland and, why not, learn a little more about this wonderful country we have in the European Union. But, for starters, and since this blog belongs to a translation agency, we owe it to ourselves to cover what language does Finland speak: Finnish and Swedish.
Are you familiar with official language of Finland? What will you be able to talk about if you visit the country? What about the food, what is it like? Essential items? All these questions, and many more, in the next post about Finland.
Linguistic variety: what language do Finnish speak
There are many reasons why you might want to get to know more about Finland and Finns, it could be because they are considered the happiest people in the world or because of the breathtaking sites, full of contrasts and charms.
Whatever it may be that calls you to Finland, we’re going to give you some tips and information that you might not be privy to and that will leave you with the urge to buy a one-way ticket for this charming hardly known country.
The first thing you should know is what language they speak in Finland. There are two official languages, Finnish and Swedish. The first, Finnish, is the language in Finland that is spoken by almost all the inhabitants of the country, while Swedish is the mother tongue of a minority of 5.6%, it is known by almost half of the population and when spoken, done so fluently.
After these two languages, we can find a population that speaks Sami. This language is not officially recognized, although about 2,000 people speak it in Lapland, a geographical region of northern Europe.
Followed by this we come across the Kalo-Finnish Roma, also not recognized, spoken by a slightly smaller population and known as the language of the gypsy people in Finland. Finally, and how could it not be, English is also an established language in this country. Even though it is not officially recognized in any part of Finland, the English language is spoken practically in any metropolis where there is more recognized tourism.
As an anecdote, you should know that in some regions that border Russia, the language of the czars, Russian, is also spoken a bit.
Travel to Finland and get carried away! Country Attractions
Did you know … that some of the most impressive Northern Lights can be seen in Finnish Lapland? These atmospheric phenomena can occur up to 200 times a year, more specifically in the more than 200 nights that Finns experience winter.
Also, in this region of the world there are more forests and water than anywhere else on earth. Moreover, the phrase “the land of a thousand lakes” sounds like it was thought up undoubtedly because of Finland. Specifically, more than 70% of this European country is occupied by forests and water in an area that exceeds the dimensions of the United Kingdom or even Italy.
In another light, the lands that make up this country are free to explore. Although it seems logical, the truth is that, under the term “Jokamiehen Oikeus” (translated into English as “every man’s right”), you can wander anywhere you’d like in Finland without any restrictions.
Let’s continue on our journey through this unknown land! It may also be known, in part, as being the origin of the summit figure of Christmas: Santa Claus–. Finland is the only place on the planet where you can meet the real Santa Claus, in the flesh!
The man in red resides in Rovaniemi, Lapland, although he is originally from Krvatunturi. He can be visited throughout the year.
And, as you may have guessed, if you can visit Santa at any time, there will also be snow, and where there is snow there is ski. Indeed! In Finland the ski season lasts up to 6 months – from October to May. We advise you to hit the slopes of Finnish Lapland, especially the Ylläs slopes.
If after skiing you feel like going for a bath, Finland has more than 3 million saunas. That is, a sauna for every two citizens, amazing! If you add this with the clean, crisp air that is breathed throughout the region and more in Helsinki, the capital, you will never want to return to reality.
Finally, and we wouldn’t have it any other way, we must touch on the languages again. Finland is home to the rarest language in the world. Yes, that’s right! It’s Finnish.
Although we have mentioned it before, the truth is that we haven’t truly gone in depth to how complex the language really is. If you think otherwise, try to pronounce this: Äkäslompolo, and we won’t even try to make you say the longest word in Finnish:
“epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydelläänsäkäänköhän”
Want to know what it means? Get professional translators to help you with this and other Finnish words. What are you waiting for to book your ticket to this awe-inspiring destination?
Finnish translation services
If you need specialized translations, don’t hesitate to contact the translation agency Tradupla. We have Finnish translators specialized in various translation areas such as: patent translation, audiovisual translation, technical translation, medical translation, etc. Get in touch now!
