Lenguia | 1000 Most Common Finnish Words with Audio

Why these 1,000 words matter

Finnish vocabulary is astonishingly top-heavy: the 100 most frequent words make up about half of everything you will ever hear or read, and the top 1,000 cover roughly 85% of everyday speech. Learn these first and most sentences around you turn from noise into language.

The list below is ranked by how often each word actually occurs in spoken Finnish — dictionary forms, with concise English translations, the part of speech, the CEFR level at which learners typically meet the word, and audio for every word in a female and a male voice. Show the top 250, 500 or all 1,000, and flip to A–Z when you want to look something up.

#	Word	Translation	Part of speech	Level
1	ja	and	conjunction	A1
2	on	is; there is	verb	A1
3	ei	not; no; (negation verb)	verb	A1
4	se	it; that	pronoun	A1
5	että	that (subordinator)	conjunction	A1
6	olla	to be	verb	A1
7	en	I don't; I'm not (negation, 1sg)	verb	A1
8	minä	I	pronoun	A1
9	oli	was; there was	verb	A1
10	niin	so; that way; yes	adverb	A1
11	hän	he; she	pronoun	A1
12	mitä	what	pronoun	A1
13	kun	when; as; since	conjunction	A1
14	sinä	you (singular)	pronoun	A1
15	nyt	now	adverb	A1
16	mutta	but	conjunction	A1
17	jos	if	conjunction	A1
18	tämä	this	pronoun	A1
19	me	we	pronoun	A1
20	vain	only; just	adverb	A1
21	kuin	than; as; like	conjunction	A1
22	he	they	pronoun	A1
23	te	you (plural / formal)	pronoun	A1
24	joka	which; who; that (relative)	pronoun	A1
25	ne	they; those	pronoun	A1
26	tai	or	conjunction	A1
27	mikä	what; which	pronoun	A1
28	kuka	who	pronoun	A1
29	myös	also; too	adverb	A1
30	jo	already	adverb	A1
31	kaikki	all; everything; everyone	pronoun	A1
32	saada	to get; to receive; may	verb	A1
33	voida	can; to be able to	verb	A1
34	tulla	to come; to become	verb	A1
35	sanoa	to say	verb	A1
36	mennä	to go	verb	A1
37	tehdä	to do; to make	verb	A1
38	nähdä	to see	verb	A1
39	tietää	to know	verb	A1
40	sitten	then; ago; afterwards	adverb	A1
41	vielä	still; yet; more	adverb	A1
42	hyvä	good	adjective	A1
43	aika	time; quite; rather	noun	A1
44	vuosi	year	noun	A1
45	päivä	day	noun	A1
46	ihminen	person; human being	noun	A1
47	antaa	to give; to let	verb	A1
48	ottaa	to take	verb	A1
49	kanssa	with	preposition	A1
50	muu	other; else	pronoun	A1
51	kaksi	two	number	A1
52	yksi	one; a certain	number	A1
53	kuten	as; like	conjunction	A1
54	itse	oneself; myself; itself	pronoun	A1
55	joten	so; therefore	conjunction	A2
56	ehkä	maybe; perhaps	adverb	A1
57	kyllä	yes; certainly; indeed	adverb	A1
58	tässä	here; in this	adverb	A1
59	siis	so; thus; then	adverb	A2
60	juuri	just; exactly; a moment ago	adverb	A1
61	tuo	that (over there)	pronoun	A1
62	sekä	and; as well as	conjunction	A2
63	jotain	something	pronoun	A1
64	tänään	today	adverb	A1
65	huomenna	tomorrow	adverb	A1
66	eilen	yesterday	adverb	A1
67	aina	always	adverb	A1
68	jälkeen	after; afterwards	preposition	A1
69	paljon	much; a lot	adverb	A1
70	suuri	big; large; great	adjective	A1
71	pieni	small; little	adjective	A1
72	uusi	new	adjective	A1
73	oma	own	adjective	A1
74	talo	house; building	noun	A1
75	asia	thing; matter; case	noun	A1
76	lapsi	child	noun	A1
77	nainen	woman	noun	A1
78	mies	man; husband	noun	A1
79	haluta	to want	verb	A1
80	jäädä	to stay; to remain	verb	A2
81	käydä	to visit; to go; to happen	verb	A1
82	löytää	to find	verb	A1
83	pitää	to hold; to like; must; to keep	verb	A1
84	täytyä	to have to; must	verb	A1
85	katsoa	to look; to watch	verb	A1
86	kysyä	to ask	verb	A1
87	puhua	to speak; to talk	verb	A1
88	ajatella	to think	verb	A1
89	osata	to know how to; can	verb	A2
90	kaikkein	the most; of all	adverb	A2
91	sama	same	adjective	A1
92	toinen	other; second; another	pronoun	A1
93	moni	many; several	pronoun	A2
94	usein	often	adverb	A1
95	joskus	sometimes; at some point	adverb	A1
96	ilman	without	preposition	A1
97	ennen	before; earlier	preposition	A1
98	takia	because of; for the sake of	preposition	A2
99	vasta	not until; only just	adverb	A2
100	melko	quite; fairly	adverb	A2
101	todella	really; truly	adverb	A1
102	kunnossa	in order; all right; okay	adverb	A2
103	täällä	here	adverb	A1
104	siellä	there	adverb	A1
105	missä	where	adverb	A1
106	miksi	why	adverb	A1
107	miten	how	adverb	A1
108	milloin	when	adverb	A1
109	kuinka	how; how much	adverb	A1
110	kello	clock; watch; o’clock	noun	A1
111	tunti	hour; lesson	noun	A1
112	viikko	week	noun	A1
113	kuukausi	month	noun	A1
114	aamu	morning	noun	A1
115	ilta	evening	noun	A1
116	yö	night	noun	A1
117	nimi	name	noun	A1
118	perhe	family	noun	A1
119	äiti	mother	noun	A1
120	isä	father	noun	A1
121	ystävä	friend	noun	A1
122	koti	home	noun	A1
123	kaupunki	city; town	noun	A1
124	maa	country; land; ground	noun	A1
125	työ	work; job	noun	A1
126	raha	money	noun	A1
127	auto	car	noun	A1
128	ruoka	food	noun	A1
129	vesi	water	noun	A1
130	kirja	book	noun	A1
131	koulu	school	noun	A1
132	sana	word	noun	A1
133	kieli	language; tongue	noun	A1
134	käsi	hand; arm	noun	A1
135	silmä	eye	noun	A1
136	pää	head	noun	A1
137	syödä	to eat	verb	A1
138	juoda	to drink	verb	A1
139	nukkua	to sleep	verb	A1
140	asua	to live; to reside	verb	A1
141	tehtävä	task; assignment; duty	noun	A2
142	ostaa	to buy	verb	A1
143	maksaa	to pay; to cost	verb	A1
144	lukea	to read	verb	A1
145	kirjoittaa	to write	verb	A1
146	oppia	to learn	verb	A1
147	opettaa	to teach	verb	A2
148	ymmärtää	to understand	verb	A1
149	muistaa	to remember	verb	A1
150	unohtaa	to forget	verb	A2
151	rakastaa	to love	verb	A1
152	auttaa	to help	verb	A1
153	odottaa	to wait; to expect	verb	A2
154	alkaa	to begin; to start	verb	A1
155	loppua	to end; to run out	verb	A2
156	jatkaa	to continue	verb	A2
157	lähteä	to leave; to set off	verb	A1
158	palata	to return; to come back	verb	A2
159	seisoa	to stand	verb	A2
160	istua	to sit	verb	A1
161	kävellä	to walk	verb	A1
162	juosta	to run	verb	A2
163	avata	to open	verb	A1
164	sulkea	to close; to shut	verb	A2
165	soittaa	to call; to play (an instrument)	verb	A1
166	kuulla	to hear	verb	A1
167	kuunnella	to listen	verb	A1
168	kertoa	to tell; to recount	verb	A1
169	näyttää	to show; to seem	verb	A2
170	tuntea	to feel; to know (a person)	verb	A2
171	uskoa	to believe	verb	A2
172	toivoa	to hope; to wish	verb	A2
173	tarvita	to need	verb	A1
174	käyttää	to use	verb	A2
175	auki	open	adverb	A2
176	kiinni	closed; shut; stuck	adverb	A2
177	pois	away; off	adverb	A1
178	ulos	out; outside (direction)	adverb	A2
179	sisään	in; inside (direction)	adverb	A2
180	ylös	up (direction)	adverb	A2
181	alas	down (direction)	adverb	A2
182	takaisin	back	adverb	A2
183	yhdessä	together	adverb	A2
184	yksin	alone	adverb	A2
185	kotona	at home	adverb	A1
186	mukaan	along; according to	preposition	A2
187	varten	for; in order to	preposition	A2
188	luona	at; by; at someone’s place	preposition	A2
189	välillä	between; sometimes	preposition	A2
190	aikana	during	preposition	A2
191	asti	until; as far as	preposition	A2
192	saakka	until; up to	preposition	B1
193	kohti	towards; per	preposition	B1
194	ympäri	around	preposition	A2
195	lähellä	near; close by	preposition	A2
196	kaukana	far away	adverb	A2
197	vieressä	next to; beside	preposition	A2
198	edessä	in front of	preposition	A2
199	takana	behind	preposition	A2
200	päällä	on; on top of	preposition	A2
201	alla	under; beneath	preposition	A2
202	keskellä	in the middle of	preposition	A2
203	kolme	three	number	A1
204	neljä	four	number	A1
205	viisi	five	number	A1
206	kuusi	six	number	A1
207	seitsemän	seven	number	A1
208	kahdeksan	eight	number	A1
209	yhdeksän	nine	number	A1
210	kymmenen	ten	number	A1
211	sata	hundred	number	A2
212	tuhat	thousand	number	A2
213	ensimmäinen	first	number	A1
214	viimeinen	last; final	adjective	A2
215	seuraava	next; following	adjective	A2
216	edellinen	previous; former	adjective	B1
217	vanha	old	adjective	A1
218	nuori	young	adjective	A1
219	pitkä	long; tall	adjective	A1
220	lyhyt	short	adjective	A2
221	korkea	high; tall	adjective	A2
222	matala	low; shallow	adjective	B1
223	kaunis	beautiful	adjective	A1
224	ruma	ugly	adjective	A2
225	helppo	easy	adjective	A1
226	vaikea	difficult; hard	adjective	A1
227	tärkeä	important	adjective	A1
228	mukava	nice; comfortable; pleasant	adjective	A1
229	kiva	nice; fun	adjective	A1
230	hauska	funny; fun; amusing	adjective	A1
231	ihana	wonderful; lovely	adjective	A2
232	huono	bad; poor	adjective	A1
233	väärä	wrong; false	adjective	A2
234	oikea	right; correct; real	adjective	A1
235	valmis	ready; finished	adjective	A1
236	täysi	full; complete	adjective	A2
237	tyhjä	empty	adjective	A2
238	nopea	fast; quick	adjective	A2
239	hidas	slow	adjective	A2
240	vahva	strong	adjective	A2
241	heikko	weak	adjective	B1
242	kuuma	hot	adjective	A1
243	kylmä	cold	adjective	A1
244	lämmin	warm	adjective	A2
245	märkä	wet	adjective	B1
246	kuiva	dry	adjective	A2
247	puhdas	clean; pure	adjective	A2
248	likainen	dirty	adjective	A2
249	väri	colour	noun	A1
250	valkoinen	white	adjective	A1
251	musta	black	adjective	A1
252	punainen	red	adjective	A1
253	sininen	blue	adjective	A1
254	vihreä	green	adjective	A1
255	keltainen	yellow	adjective	A1
256	ruskea	brown	adjective	A2
257	harmaa	grey	adjective	A2
258	poika	boy; son	noun	A1
259	tyttö	girl	noun	A1
260	vauva	baby	noun	A2
261	veli	brother	noun	A1
262	sisko	sister	noun	A1
263	vaimo	wife	noun	A2
264	aviomies	husband	noun	A2
265	isoäiti	grandmother	noun	A2
266	isoisä	grandfather	noun	A2
267	sukulainen	relative; kin	noun	B1
268	naapuri	neighbour	noun	A2
269	opettaja	teacher	noun	A1
270	oppilas	pupil; student	noun	A2
271	opiskelija	student	noun	A1
272	lääkäri	doctor	noun	A1
273	sairaanhoitaja	nurse	noun	B1
274	poliisi	police; police officer	noun	A2
275	johtaja	leader; manager; director	noun	A2
276	työntekijä	employee; worker	noun	B1
277	asiakas	customer; client	noun	A2
278	kaveri	buddy; mate; pal	noun	A2
279	huone	room	noun	A1
280	keittiö	kitchen	noun	A1
281	ovi	door	noun	A1
282	ikkuna	window	noun	A1
283	seinä	wall	noun	A2
284	lattia	floor	noun	A2
285	katto	roof; ceiling	noun	A2
286	pöytä	table	noun	A1
287	tuoli	chair	noun	A1
288	sänky	bed	noun	A1
289	peili	mirror	noun	A2
290	valo	light	noun	A2
291	puhelin	phone; telephone	noun	A1
292	tietokone	computer	noun	A2
293	televisio	television	noun	A2
294	lehti	newspaper; magazine; leaf	noun	A2
295	kuva	picture; image	noun	A1
296	musiikki	music	noun	A1
297	elokuva	film; movie	noun	A2
298	peli	game	noun	A2
299	urheilu	sport	noun	A2
300	matka	trip; journey	noun	A2
301	juna	train	noun	A2
302	lento	flight	noun	B1
303	bussi	bus	noun	A2
304	lentokone	airplane	noun	A2
305	laiva	ship; boat	noun	A2
306	polkupyörä	bicycle	noun	A2
307	tie	road; way	noun	A1
308	katu	street	noun	A2
309	silta	bridge	noun	B1
310	asema	station; position	noun	A2
311	lentokenttä	airport	noun	A2
312	kauppa	shop; store; trade	noun	A1
313	ravintola	restaurant	noun	A1
314	kahvila	café	noun	A2
315	hotelli	hotel	noun	A2
316	sairaala	hospital	noun	A2
317	kirkko	church	noun	A2
318	kirjasto	library	noun	A2
319	puisto	park	noun	A2
320	tori	market square	noun	B1
321	raja	border; limit	noun	B1
322	paikka	place; spot; seat	noun	A1
323	metsä	forest	noun	A2
324	järvi	lake	noun	A2
325	meri	sea	noun	A2
326	joki	river	noun	A2
327	vuori	mountain	noun	A2
328	saari	island	noun	B1
329	ranta	shore; beach	noun	A2
330	taivas	sky; heaven	noun	A2
331	aurinko	sun	noun	A1
332	kuu	moon	noun	A2
333	tähti	star	noun	A2
334	sää	weather	noun	A2
335	sade	rain	noun	A2
336	lumi	snow	noun	A2
337	tuuli	wind	noun	A2
338	ilma	air; weather	noun	A2
339	tuli	fire	noun	A2
340	puu	tree; wood	noun	A1
341	kukka	flower	noun	A2
342	eläin	animal	noun	A1
343	koira	dog	noun	A1
344	kissa	cat	noun	A1
345	lintu	bird	noun	A2
346	kala	fish	noun	A1
347	hevonen	horse	noun	A2
348	leipä	bread	noun	A1
349	maito	milk	noun	A1
350	kahvi	coffee	noun	A1
351	tee	tea	noun	A1
352	liha	meat	noun	A2
353	peruna	potato	noun	A2
354	omena	apple	noun	A1
355	juusto	cheese	noun	A2
356	sokeri	sugar	noun	A2
357	suola	salt	noun	A2
358	aamiainen	breakfast	noun	A2
359	lounas	lunch	noun	A2
360	illallinen	dinner; supper	noun	A2
361	vaate	garment; (pl.) clothes	noun	A2
362	takki	coat; jacket	noun	A2
363	kenkä	shoe	noun	A2
364	housut	trousers; pants	noun	A2
365	paita	shirt	noun	A2
366	hattu	hat	noun	B1
367	jalka	leg; foot	noun	A1
368	korva	ear	noun	A2
369	nenä	nose	noun	A2
370	suu	mouth	noun	A2
371	hammas	tooth	noun	A2
372	hiukset	hair	noun	A2
373	sydän	heart	noun	A2
374	veri	blood	noun	B1
375	keho	body	noun	B1
376	terveys	health	noun	B1
377	sairaus	illness; disease	noun	B1
378	kipu	pain; ache	noun	B1
379	lääke	medicine; medication	noun	B1
380	onni	happiness; luck	noun	B1
381	ilo	joy	noun	A2
382	suru	sorrow; grief	noun	B1
383	pelko	fear	noun	B1
384	viha	anger; hatred	noun	B1
385	rakkaus	love	noun	A2
386	tunne	feeling; emotion	noun	B1
387	ajatus	thought; idea	noun	A2
388	mieli	mind; mood; liking	noun	A2
389	unelma	dream (aspiration)	noun	B1
390	uni	sleep; dream	noun	A2
391	toive	wish; hope	noun	B1
392	muisto	memory; souvenir	noun	B1
393	iloinen	happy; glad	adjective	A1
394	surullinen	sad	adjective	A2
395	vihainen	angry	adjective	A2
396	väsynyt	tired	adjective	A1
397	nälkäinen	hungry	adjective	A2
398	sairas	sick; ill	adjective	A2
399	terve	healthy; hi (greeting)	adjective	A2
400	onnellinen	happy	adjective	A2
401	pelokas	fearful; scared	adjective	B1
402	rauhallinen	calm; peaceful	adjective	B1
403	keskustelu	conversation; discussion	noun	B1
404	kysymys	question	noun	A2
405	vastaus	answer; response	noun	A2
406	ongelma	problem	noun	A2
407	ratkaisu	solution	noun	B1
408	syy	reason; cause; fault	noun	A2
409	seuraus	consequence; result	noun	B2
410	tulos	result; outcome	noun	B1
411	tarkoitus	purpose; meaning; intention	noun	B1
412	tapa	way; manner; habit; custom	noun	A2
413	esimerkki	example	noun	A2
414	ero	difference; separation	noun	B1
415	muutos	change	noun	B1
416	osa	part; share; role	noun	A2
417	määrä	amount; quantity	noun	B1
418	summa	sum; amount	noun	B1
419	luku	number; chapter; figure	noun	B1
420	järjestys	order; sequence	noun	B2
421	tilanne	situation	noun	B1
422	tapaus	case; incident; event	noun	B1
423	tieto	knowledge; information; data	noun	A2
424	taito	skill; ability	noun	B1
425	kokemus	experience	noun	B1
426	mahdollisuus	possibility; opportunity; chance	noun	B1
427	vaara	danger	noun	B1
428	turva	safety; security	noun	B2
429	apu	help; aid	noun	A2
430	lupa	permission; permit	noun	B1
431	sääntö	rule	noun	B1
432	laki	law	noun	B1
433	oikeus	right; justice; court	noun	B1
434	valta	power; authority	noun	B2
435	valtio	state; nation	noun	B1
436	hallitus	government; board	noun	B2
437	yhteiskunta	society	noun	B2
438	kansa	people; nation	noun	B1
439	ryhmä	group	noun	A2
440	jäsen	member	noun	B1
441	yritys	company; attempt	noun	B1
442	palvelu	service	noun	B1
443	tuote	product	noun	B1
444	hinta	price	noun	A2
445	markkinat	market	noun	B2
446	talous	economy; finances	noun	B2
447	palkka	salary; wage	noun	B1
448	vero	tax	noun	B2
449	kustannus	cost; expense	noun	B2
450	tili	account	noun	B1
451	pankki	bank	noun	A2
452	kortti	card	noun	A2
453	numero	number	noun	A1
454	osoite	address	noun	A2
455	viesti	message	noun	A2
456	kirje	letter	noun	A2
457	uutinen	news	noun	A2
458	tarina	story	noun	A2
459	juttu	thing; story; matter	noun	A2
460	totuus	truth	noun	B1
461	valhe	lie	noun	B2
462	salaisuus	secret	noun	B1
463	idea	idea	noun	A2
464	suunnitelma	plan	noun	B1
465	tavoite	goal; aim; target	noun	B2
466	tarve	need	noun	B1
467	toiminta	activity; operation; action	noun	B2
468	liike	movement; business; shop	noun	B1
469	voima	force; power; strength	noun	B1
470	energia	energy	noun	B1
471	lämpötila	temperature	noun	B2
472	väli	gap; interval; relationship	noun	B1
473	suunta	direction	noun	B1
474	reitti	route	noun	B2
475	etäisyys	distance	noun	B2
476	nopeus	speed	noun	B1
477	koko	size; whole	noun	A2
478	paino	weight	noun	B1
479	pituus	length; height	noun	B1
480	korkeus	height; altitude	noun	B2
481	muoto	shape; form	noun	B1
482	laatu	quality	noun	B1
483	malli	model; pattern	noun	B1
484	väline	tool; instrument; means	noun	B2
485	kone	machine	noun	A2
486	laite	device	noun	B1
487	ohjelma	program; software; show	noun	A2
488	sovellus	application; app	noun	B1
489	verkko	network; the internet; net	noun	B1
490	järjestelmä	system	noun	B2
491	tapahtuma	event	noun	B1
492	kokous	meeting	noun	B1
493	juhla	party; celebration	noun	A2
494	loma	holiday; vacation	noun	A2
495	vapaa	free; vacant	adjective	A2
496	kiire	hurry; rush	noun	B1
497	lepo	rest	noun	B2
498	hetki	moment	noun	A2
499	alku	beginning; start	noun	A2
500	loppu	end	noun	A2
501	keskusta	centre; downtown	noun	A2
502	ympäristö	environment; surroundings	noun	B1
503	tarkoittaa	to mean	verb	A2
504	kuulua	to belong; to be heard; to sound	verb	A2
505	näkyä	to be visible; to show	verb	B1
506	tapahtua	to happen; to occur	verb	A2
507	muuttua	to change; to become	verb	B1
508	muuttaa	to change; to move (house)	verb	A2
509	kasvaa	to grow	verb	A2
510	nousta	to rise; to get up	verb	A2
511	laskea	to count; to lower; to descend	verb	B1
512	kääntyä	to turn	verb	B1
513	liikkua	to move	verb	A2
514	pysähtyä	to stop; to come to a halt	verb	A2
515	pysyä	to stay; to remain	verb	B1
516	kestää	to last; to endure	verb	B1
517	kadota	to disappear; to vanish	verb	B2
518	ilmestyä	to appear	verb	B2
519	syntyä	to be born; to arise	verb	B1
520	kuolla	to die	verb	A2
521	elää	to live	verb	A2
522	tavata	to meet	verb	A1
523	tervehtiä	to greet	verb	B1
524	kiittää	to thank	verb	A2
525	pyytää	to ask for; to request	verb	A2
526	vastata	to answer; to be responsible	verb	A2
527	selittää	to explain	verb	B1
528	kysellä	to ask around; to inquire	verb	B1
529	keskustella	to discuss; to converse	verb	B1
530	väittää	to claim; to argue	verb	B2
531	ehdottaa	to suggest; to propose	verb	B1
532	luvata	to promise	verb	B1
533	päättää	to decide; to end	verb	A2
534	valita	to choose; to select	verb	A2
535	yrittää	to try; to attempt	verb	A2
536	onnistua	to succeed	verb	B1
537	epäonnistua	to fail	verb	B2
538	työskennellä	to work; to labour	verb	B1
539	toimia	to work (function); to act	verb	B1
540	valmistaa	to prepare; to manufacture	verb	B1
541	rakentaa	to build	verb	A2
542	korjata	to fix; to repair; to correct	verb	B1
543	rikkoa	to break	verb	B1
544	tuhota	to destroy	verb	B2
545	suojella	to protect	verb	B2
546	pelastaa	to save; to rescue	verb	B1
547	estää	to prevent; to block	verb	B2
548	sallia	to allow; to permit	verb	B2
549	kieltää	to forbid; to deny	verb	B1
550	käskeä	to order; to command	verb	B2
551	pakottaa	to force	verb	B2
552	johtaa	to lead; to manage	verb	B1
553	seurata	to follow	verb	B1
554	osallistua	to participate; to take part	verb	B2
555	liittyä	to join; to be related to	verb	B1
556	erottaa	to separate; to distinguish; to fire	verb	B2
557	yhdistää	to combine; to connect	verb	B2
558	jakaa	to divide; to share; to distribute	verb	B1
559	kerätä	to collect; to gather	verb	B1
560	lisätä	to add; to increase	verb	B1
561	vähentää	to reduce; to subtract	verb	B2
562	kasvattaa	to raise; to grow; to increase	verb	B2
563	mitata	to measure	verb	B1
564	verrata	to compare	verb	B2
565	huomata	to notice	verb	A2
566	tarkistaa	to check; to verify	verb	B1
567	tutkia	to study; to research; to investigate	verb	B1
568	kokeilla	to try out; to test	verb	B1
569	harjoitella	to practise; to train	verb	A2
570	opiskella	to study	verb	A1
571	kehittää	to develop	verb	B2
572	parantaa	to improve; to cure	verb	B1
573	huolehtia	to take care of; to worry	verb	B1
574	hoitaa	to take care of; to treat; to manage	verb	B1
575	suositella	to recommend	verb	B2
576	tukea	to support	verb	B2
577	luottaa	to trust; to rely on	verb	B1
578	epäillä	to doubt; to suspect	verb	B2
579	pelätä	to fear; to be afraid	verb	A2
580	nauraa	to laugh	verb	A2
581	itkeä	to cry; to weep	verb	A2
582	hymyillä	to smile	verb	B1
583	suuttua	to get angry	verb	B1
584	nauttia	to enjoy	verb	B1
585	kärsiä	to suffer	verb	B2
586	levätä	to rest	verb	B1
587	herätä	to wake up	verb	A2
588	nukahtaa	to fall asleep	verb	B2
589	pukeutua	to get dressed	verb	B1
590	peseytyä	to wash oneself	verb	B1
591	valmistautua	to prepare oneself	verb	B2
592	kokoontua	to gather; to assemble	verb	B2
593	matkustaa	to travel	verb	A2
594	saapua	to arrive	verb	B1
595	lähestyä	to approach	verb	B2
596	kuljettaa	to transport; to carry	verb	B2
597	kantaa	to carry; to bear	verb	B1
598	nostaa	to lift; to raise	verb	B1
599	heittää	to throw	verb	B1
600	vetää	to pull; to draw	verb	B1
601	työntää	to push	verb	B1
602	painaa	to press; to weigh; to print	verb	B1
603	koskea	to touch; to concern	verb	B1
604	tarttua	to grab; to grasp; to catch on	verb	B2
605	pudota	to fall; to drop	verb	B1
606	lentää	to fly	verb	A2
607	uida	to swim	verb	A2
608	hypätä	to jump	verb	B1
609	tanssia	to dance	verb	A2
610	laulaa	to sing	verb	A2
611	piirtää	to draw	verb	B1
612	maalata	to paint	verb	B1
613	valokuvata	to photograph	verb	B2
614	pelata	to play (a game)	verb	A1
615	leikkiä	to play (as children do)	verb	A2
616	voittaa	to win; to beat	verb	B1
617	hävitä	to lose; to vanish	verb	B1
618	kilpailla	to compete	verb	B1
619	taistella	to fight; to struggle	verb	B1
620	puolustaa	to defend	verb	B1
621	hyökätä	to attack	verb	B2
622	voittaja	winner	noun	B1
623	joukkue	team	noun	B1
624	ottelu	match; game	noun	B2
625	harjoitus	exercise; practice	noun	A2
626	sääntely	regulation	noun	B2
627	päätös	decision	noun	B1
628	valinta	choice; selection	noun	B1
629	sopimus	agreement; contract	noun	B1
630	ehto	condition; term	noun	B1
631	väite	claim; argument	noun	B2
632	mielipide	opinion	noun	B1
633	näkemys	view; standpoint	noun	B2
634	käsitys	conception; understanding; notion	noun	B2
635	merkitys	meaning; significance	noun	B1
636	vaikutus	effect; influence; impact	noun	B1
637	vaihtoehto	alternative; option	noun	B1
638	este	obstacle; barrier	noun	B2
639	riski	risk	noun	B1
640	etu	benefit; advantage	noun	B1
641	haitta	disadvantage; harm	noun	B2
642	vastuu	responsibility	noun	B1
643	velvollisuus	duty; obligation	noun	B2
644	rooli	role	noun	B1
645	ammatti	profession; occupation	noun	A2
646	ura	career	noun	B1
647	koulutus	education; training	noun	B1
648	tutkinto	degree; qualification	noun	B1
649	yliopisto	university	noun	A2
650	tiede	science	noun	B1
651	tutkimus	research; study; survey	noun	B1
652	historia	history	noun	A2
653	kulttuuri	culture	noun	B1
654	taide	art	noun	B1
655	kirjallisuus	literature	noun	B2
656	uskonto	religion	noun	B1
657	politiikka	politics; policy	noun	B1
658	taloudellinen	economic; financial	adjective	B2
659	luonto	nature	noun	A2
660	maailma	world	noun	A1
661	maapallo	the Earth; the globe	noun	B2
662	ilmasto	climate	noun	B2
663	yhteys	connection; contact	noun	B1
664	suhde	relationship; ratio	noun	B1
665	ystävyys	friendship	noun	B1
666	kumppani	partner	noun	B2
667	seura	company; club; society	noun	B1
668	vieras	guest; stranger; foreign	noun	B1
669	isäntä	host; master	noun	B2
670	väestö	population	noun	B2
671	sukupolvi	generation	noun	B2
672	lapsuus	childhood	noun	B1
673	nuoruus	youth	noun	B2
674	aikuinen	adult	noun	A2
675	vanhus	elderly person	noun	B2
676	ikä	age	noun	A2
677	syntymäpäivä	birthday	noun	A2
678	häät	wedding	noun	B1
679	hautajaiset	funeral	noun	B2
680	lahja	gift; present	noun	A2
681	yllätys	surprise	noun	B1
682	onnettomuus	accident	noun	B1
683	vahinko	damage; mishap	noun	B2
684	virhe	mistake; error	noun	A2
685	vika	fault; defect	noun	B1
686	rangaistus	punishment	noun	B2
687	rikos	crime	noun	B1
688	tuomari	judge; referee	noun	B2
689	todistaja	witness	noun	B2
690	todiste	evidence; proof	noun	B2
691	väkivalta	violence	noun	B2
692	rauha	peace	noun	B1
693	sota	war	noun	A2
694	armeija	army	noun	B1
695	sotilas	soldier	noun	B1
696	ase	weapon	noun	B1
697	vaarallinen	dangerous	adjective	A2
698	turvallinen	safe; secure	adjective	B1
699	vapaus	freedom	noun	B1
700	tasa-arvo	equality	noun	B2
701	oikeudenmukainen	just; fair	adjective	B2
702	kansalainen	citizen	noun	B1
703	tavallinen	ordinary; usual	adjective	B1
704	erilainen	different	adjective	A2
705	samanlainen	similar; alike	adjective	B1
706	yhteinen	common; shared; joint	adjective	B1
707	yksityinen	private	adjective	B2
708	julkinen	public	adjective	B2
709	mahdollinen	possible	adjective	B1
710	mahdoton	impossible	adjective	B1
711	varma	sure; certain	adjective	A2
712	epävarma	uncertain; insecure	adjective	B2
713	selvä	clear; obvious; sober	adjective	A2
714	epäselvä	unclear; vague	adjective	B2
715	tarkka	precise; accurate; careful	adjective	B1
716	yleinen	general; common	adjective	B1
717	erityinen	special; particular	adjective	B1
718	tietty	certain; specific	adjective	B1
719	kokonainen	whole; entire	adjective	B1
720	ainoa	only; sole	adjective	A2
721	useampi	several; more than one	adjective	B1
722	harva	few; sparse	adjective	B2
723	riittävä	sufficient; enough	adjective	B2
724	runsas	abundant; plentiful	adjective	B2
725	ylimääräinen	extra; additional	adjective	B2
726	todellinen	real; actual	adjective	B1
727	väärennös	fake; forgery	noun	B2
728	aito	genuine; authentic	adjective	B2
729	kallis	expensive; dear	adjective	A2
730	halpa	cheap; inexpensive	adjective	A2
731	ilmainen	free (of charge)	adjective	B1
732	rikas	rich; wealthy	adjective	A2
733	köyhä	poor	adjective	A2
734	raskas	heavy	adjective	A2
735	kevyt	light (in weight)	adjective	A2
736	pehmeä	soft	adjective	B1
737	kova	hard; loud; tough	adjective	A2
738	sileä	smooth	adjective	B2
739	terävä	sharp	adjective	B2
740	paksu	thick	adjective	B1
741	ohut	thin	adjective	B1
742	leveä	wide; broad	adjective	B1
743	kapea	narrow	adjective	B2
744	syvä	deep	adjective	B1
745	makea	sweet	adjective	A2
746	hapan	sour	adjective	B2
747	suolainen	salty	adjective	B2
748	katkera	bitter	adjective	B2
749	maukas	tasty; delicious	adjective	B1
750	raikas	fresh (air, taste)	adjective	B2
751	tuore	fresh (food)	adjective	B1
752	vanhentunut	expired; outdated	adjective	B2
753	aikaisin	early	adverb	A2
754	myöhään	late	adverb	A2
755	heti	immediately; at once	adverb	A2
756	pian	soon	adverb	A2
757	kohta	soon; shortly; point; spot	adverb	A2
758	nykyisin	currently; at present	adverb	B1
759	äskettäin	recently	adverb	B2
760	aikaisemmin	earlier; previously	adverb	B1
761	myöhemmin	later	adverb	A2
762	lopulta	finally; in the end	adverb	B1
763	yhtäkkiä	suddenly	adverb	B1
764	vähitellen	gradually	adverb	B2
765	jatkuvasti	constantly; continually	adverb	B2
766	harvoin	rarely; seldom	adverb	B1
767	koskaan	ever; never (with negation)	adverb	A2
768	yhä	still; increasingly	adverb	B1
769	taas	again; on the other hand	adverb	A2
770	uudelleen	again; anew	adverb	B1
771	lisäksi	in addition; besides	adverb	B1
772	muuten	otherwise; by the way	adverb	B1
773	esimerkiksi	for example	adverb	A2
774	erityisesti	especially; particularly	adverb	B1
775	yleensä	usually; generally	adverb	A2
776	toisaalta	on the other hand	adverb	B2
777	kuitenkin	however; nevertheless	adverb	B1
778	silti	still; yet; nonetheless	adverb	B1
779	siksi	therefore; for that reason	adverb	A2
780	sinne	there; to there	adverb	A2
781	todennäköisesti	probably; likely	adverb	B2
782	varmasti	certainly; surely	adverb	A2
783	tietysti	of course	adverb	A2
784	valitettavasti	unfortunately	adverb	B1
785	onneksi	fortunately; luckily	adverb	B1
786	oikeastaan	actually; really	adverb	B1
787	melkein	almost; nearly	adverb	A2
788	ainakin	at least	adverb	B1
789	enää	anymore; any longer	adverb	A2
790	edes	even (with negation)	adverb	B1
791	aivan	quite; completely; exactly	adverb	A2
792	täysin	completely; fully	adverb	B1
793	erittäin	very; extremely	adverb	B1
794	liian	too (much)	adverb	A2
795	tarpeeksi	enough	adverb	A2
796	suunnilleen	approximately; roughly	adverb	B2
797	ehdottomasti	absolutely; definitely	adverb	B2
798	mielellään	gladly; willingly	adverb	B1
799	kai	probably; I suppose	adverb	B1
800	muka	supposedly; allegedly	particle	B2
801	vähän	a little; a bit	adverb	A1
802	enemmän	more	adverb	A1
803	vähemmän	less	adverb	A2
804	eniten	the most	adverb	B1
805	vähiten	the least	adverb	B2
806	parempi	better	adjective	A2
807	paras	best	adjective	A2
808	huonompi	worse	adjective	B1
809	huonoin	worst	adjective	B1
810	isompi	bigger	adjective	A2
811	pienempi	smaller	adjective	A2
812	keskimääräinen	average	adjective	B2
813	tärkein	most important; main	adjective	B1
814	pääasia	the main thing	noun	B2
815	perusta	basis; foundation	noun	B2
816	peruste	ground; justification	noun	B2
817	lähtökohta	starting point; premise	noun	B2
818	näkökulma	point of view; perspective	noun	B2
819	kysyntä	demand	noun	B2
820	tarjonta	supply; offering	noun	B2
821	tarjous	offer	noun	B1
822	alennus	discount	noun	B1
823	lasku	bill; invoice; descent	noun	B1
824	kuitti	receipt	noun	B1
825	maksu	payment; fee; charge	noun	B1
826	budjetti	budget	noun	B2
827	voitto	profit; victory	noun	B1
828	tappio	loss; defeat	noun	B2
829	velka	debt	noun	B1
830	omaisuus	property; assets	noun	B2
831	varallisuus	wealth	noun	B2
832	sijoitus	investment; placement	noun	B2
833	teollisuus	industry	noun	B2
834	maatalous	agriculture	noun	B2
835	kaupankäynti	trade; commerce	noun	B2
836	tehdas	factory	noun	B1
837	toimisto	office	noun	A2
838	työpaikka	workplace; job	noun	A2
839	ala	field; sector; area	noun	B1
840	osasto	department; section	noun	B2
841	projekti	project	noun	B1
842	aikataulu	schedule; timetable	noun	B1
843	määräaika	deadline; time limit	noun	B2
844	raportti	report	noun	B1
845	asiakirja	document	noun	B2
846	lomake	form (to fill in)	noun	B1
847	allekirjoitus	signature	noun	B2
848	todistus	certificate; testimony	noun	B1
849	passi	passport	noun	A2
850	lippu	ticket; flag	noun	A2
851	avain	key	noun	A2
852	laukku	bag	noun	A2
853	matkalaukku	suitcase	noun	B1
854	pussi	bag; pouch	noun	B1
855	laatikko	box; drawer	noun	B1
856	paketti	package; parcel	noun	B1
857	esine	object; item	noun	B1
858	tavara	goods; stuff; item	noun	A2
859	materiaali	material	noun	B1
860	aine	substance; subject; essay	noun	B1
861	metalli	metal	noun	B2
862	rauta	iron	noun	B2
863	kulta	gold; darling	noun	B1
864	hopea	silver	noun	B2
865	lasi	glass	noun	A2
866	muovi	plastic	noun	B1
867	paperi	paper	noun	A2
868	kivi	stone; rock	noun	A2
869	hiekka	sand	noun	B2
870	maaperä	soil	noun	B2
871	jää	ice	noun	A2
872	höyry	steam; vapour	noun	B2
873	kaasu	gas	noun	B2
874	öljy	oil	noun	B1
875	polttoaine	fuel	noun	B2
876	sähkö	electricity	noun	B1
877	lämpö	heat; warmth	noun	B1
878	ääni	sound; voice; vote	noun	A2
879	melu	noise	noun	B1
880	hiljaisuus	silence	noun	B2
881	hiljainen	quiet; silent	adjective	A2
882	äänekäs	loud; noisy	adjective	B2
883	kirkas	bright; clear	adjective	B1
884	pimeä	dark	adjective	A2
885	valoisa	light; bright (of a space)	adjective	B2
886	värikäs	colourful	adjective	B2
887	kaunistua	to become beautiful	verb	B2
888	näyttäytyä	to appear; to present oneself	verb	B2
889	esittää	to present; to perform; to portray	verb	B1
890	kuvata	to describe; to film	verb	B1
891	ilmaista	to express	verb	B2
892	mainita	to mention	verb	B1
893	korostaa	to emphasize; to stress	verb	B2
894	huomauttaa	to point out; to remark	verb	B2
895	todeta	to state; to note; to find	verb	B2
896	arvioida	to estimate; to assess; to evaluate	verb	B2
897	ratkaista	to solve; to resolve	verb	B1
898	harkita	to consider; to contemplate	verb	B2
899	suunnitella	to plan; to design	verb	B1
900	järjestää	to organize; to arrange	verb	B1
901	hankkia	to acquire; to obtain	verb	B1
902	saavuttaa	to achieve; to reach; to attain	verb	B2
903	aiheuttaa	to cause	verb	B2
904	vaikuttaa	to affect; to influence; to seem	verb	B1
905	riippua	to depend; to hang	verb	B1
906	perustua	to be based on	verb	B2
907	liittää	to attach; to append; to associate	verb	B2
908	sisältää	to contain; to include	verb	B1
909	edustaa	to represent	verb	B2
910	muodostaa	to form; to constitute	verb	B2
911	synnyttää	to give birth to; to generate	verb	B2
912	tuottaa	to produce	verb	B1
913	kuluttaa	to consume; to wear out	verb	B2
914	säästää	to save; to economize	verb	B1
915	tuhlata	to waste; to squander	verb	B2
916	ansaita	to earn; to deserve	verb	B1
917	lainata	to borrow; to lend; to quote	verb	B1
918	myydä	to sell	verb	A2
919	vuokrata	to rent	verb	B1
920	omistaa	to own; to dedicate	verb	B1
921	kuvitella	to imagine	verb	B2
922	säilyttää	to keep; to preserve; to store	verb	B2
923	suojata	to shield; to protect	verb	B2
924	varmistaa	to ensure; to confirm	verb	B2
925	todistaa	to prove; to testify	verb	B2
926	hyväksyä	to accept; to approve	verb	B1
927	hylätä	to reject; to abandon	verb	B2
928	kieltäytyä	to refuse	verb	B2
929	suostua	to agree; to consent	verb	B2
930	sopia	to fit; to suit; to agree	verb	B1
931	sietää	to tolerate; to stand	verb	B2
932	välttää	to avoid	verb	B1
933	unohtua	to be forgotten; to slip one’s mind	verb	B2
934	muistuttaa	to remind; to resemble	verb	B1
935	huomioida	to take into account	verb	B2
936	keskittyä	to concentrate; to focus	verb	B1
937	kiinnostua	to become interested	verb	B1
938	ihmetellä	to wonder; to be amazed	verb	B2
939	yllättyä	to be surprised	verb	B1
940	pettyä	to be disappointed	verb	B2
941	toivottaa	to wish (someone something)	verb	B1
942	onnitella	to congratulate	verb	B1
943	pyydellä	to beg; to keep asking	verb	B2
944	anteeksi	sorry; excuse me	interjection	A1
945	kiitos	thank you; thanks	interjection	A1
946	hei	hi; hello	interjection	A1
947	moi	hi; bye (informal)	interjection	A1
948	joo	yeah; yep (informal)	interjection	A1
949	okei	okay	interjection	A2
950	voi	oh; ah (exclamation)	interjection	A2
951	no	well…; so (filler)	particle	A2
952	niinpä	indeed; that’s right; so	particle	B2
953	tosin	though; admittedly	adverb	B2
954	nimittäin	namely; you see	adverb	B2
955	näet	you know; namely	particle	B2
956	muutenkin	anyway; in any case	adverb	B2
957	jopa	even	adverb	B1
958	peräti	as much as; even	adverb	B2
959	suorastaan	downright; positively	adverb	B2
960	lähinnä	mainly; closest	adverb	B2
961	etenkin	especially; above all	adverb	B2
962	jokseenkin	somewhat; more or less	adverb	B2
963	suhteellisen	relatively	adverb	B2
964	ilmeisesti	apparently; evidently	adverb	B2
965	mahdollisesti	possibly	adverb	B2
966	kenties	perhaps; possibly	adverb	B2
967	joko	either; already (question)	conjunction	B1
968	paitsi	except; besides	conjunction	B1
969	vaikka	although; even though; for instance	conjunction	A2
970	jotta	so that; in order that	conjunction	B1
971	koska	because	conjunction	A1
972	kunnes	until	conjunction	B1
973	ellei	unless; if not	conjunction	B2
974	mikäli	if; in case	conjunction	B2
975	sillä	because; for	conjunction	B1
976	nimenomaan	precisely; specifically	adverb	B2
977	muutoin	otherwise; else	adverb	B2
978	kaiketi	presumably; I guess	adverb	B2
979	niukasti	barely; scantily	adverb	B2
980	tuskin	hardly; barely; scarcely	adverb	B1
981	nykyään	nowadays; these days	adverb	B1
982	aikoinaan	once; in its day	adverb	B2
983	tulevaisuus	future	noun	B1
984	menneisyys	past	noun	B2
985	nykyisyys	the present	noun	B2
986	vuosisata	century	noun	B2
987	vuosikymmen	decade	noun	B2
988	aikakausi	era; period	noun	B2
989	vaihe	phase; stage	noun	B1
990	kehitys	development; progress	noun	B1
991	edistys	progress; advancement	noun	B2
992	saavutus	achievement	noun	B2
993	menestys	success	noun	B1
994	epäonni	misfortune; bad luck	noun	B2
995	kohtalo	fate; destiny	noun	B2
996	sattuma	chance; coincidence	noun	B2
997	todellisuus	reality	noun	B2
998	kuvitelma	imagining; illusion	noun	B2
999	mielikuvitus	imagination	noun	B2
1000	tarkoituksenmukainen	appropriate; expedient	adjective	B2

Showing the top 1000 of 1000 words, by frequency · audio: female voice

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Frequently asked questions

Why learn Finnish words by frequency?

Word frequency is brutally top-heavy: a small core of words does almost all the work in everyday speech. Learning in frequency order front-loads exactly those words, so every hour of study unlocks the largest possible share of real conversations, shows and books — instead of textbook chapter vocabulary you might not meet for months.

How many Finnish words do I need to understand conversations?

The 100 most common Finnish words already cover roughly half of everyday speech, the top 1,000 around 85%, and about 2,500–3,000 words push you past 95%. That last stretch is the long tail — but this list is the highest-value first mile: master it and most sentences you hear will be built from words you know.

What do the CEFR levels next to the words mean?

Each word carries the CEFR level (A1–B2) at which learners typically study it. Most of the top 1,000 is A1–A2 — high frequency and beginner vocabulary largely overlap — with the tail reaching into B1–B2. If the B1 and B2 words in the list feel unfamiliar, that is a normal place for an A2 learner to be.

How was the audio made?

Every word was recorded individually with two studio-grade neural text-to-speech voices — one female, one male — so you can hear each word in isolation and compare pronunciations. Use the voice toggle above the table to switch; the clips are short, natural and free to replay as often as you like.

Is this a list of dictionary forms or word forms?

Finnish verbs are listed in the first (A-)infinitive, the dictionary citation form (olla 'to be', tulla 'to come', tehdä 'to do'); nouns appear in the nominative singular. Finnish inflects heavily with case endings, so you'll meet these lemmas in many surface forms in real text.

How should I study this list?

Don't memorize it top to bottom in one go. Work in slices (the Top 250 view is a good first target), listen to every word as you review it, and meet the same words in context as fast as possible — graded stories and podcasts at your level are where frequency vocabulary actually sticks. Spaced-repetition flashcards work well for the concrete nouns and verbs in the tail.

Don't just read the list — learn it

Lenguia turns vocabulary like this into a daily Finnish plan: graded stories and podcasts built from high-frequency words, spaced-repetition flashcards, grammar, writing and speaking practice — all at exactly your level.

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How many of these words do you already know?

Take the free Finnish placement test — grammar, reading, vocabulary, listening, writing and speaking, graded A1 to C1 — and find out exactly where to start in this list.

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