Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Learn and discuss the Finnish language with Finn's and foreigners alike
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Jukka Aho
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Re: Re:

Post by Jukka Aho » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:22 am

vn wrote:and porras... I mean, I saw once... on someone's blog... a picture of a sign saying PORRAS in Finnish... what does that mean?
The Google Images search engine will usually help with these kind of questions, especially if you limit your search results only to the “.fi” domain. Try it!

porras = a stair; a single step in a flight of stairs
portaikko = a flight of stairs
porraskäytävä = a stairwell

(Sometimes porras is also used in a more generic sense, for the entire staircase, but that’s a bit silly in my opinion...)


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Re: Re:

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vn
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Re: Re:

Post by vn » Fri Jan 25, 2008 10:30 am

Jukka Aho wrote: especially if you limit your search results only to the “.fi” domain.
:shock: I didn't know you could do that!
(Mutta Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotone(?)sta) :oops:
Minä olen kotoisin Imagesta, mutta asun Imagessa

Jukka Aho
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Re: Re:

Post by Jukka Aho » Fri Jan 25, 2008 11:59 am

vn wrote:
Jukka Aho wrote: especially if you limit your search results only to the “.fi” domain.
:shock: I didn't know you could do that!
Yeah, you can do that with the regular Google searches as well. Just add site:domain (for example, site:fi, or site:co.uk) among the keywords you’re searching for.
vn wrote:(Mutta Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotone(?)sta) :oops:
tietokoneista

tieto = knowledge, information
kone = machine
tietokone = “knowledge/information machine”
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vn
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Re: Re:

Post by vn » Fri Jan 25, 2008 2:59 pm

Jukka Aho wrote:
vn wrote:
vn wrote:(Mutta Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotone(?)sta) :oops:
tietokoneista

tieto = knowledge, information
kone = machine
tietokone = “knowledge/information machine”
Kiitos! :D
Does this I in tietokoneista means the word is in plural?
Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotoneista - I don't know much about computers ?
Minä olen kotoisin Imagesta, mutta asun Imagessa

vn
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by vn » Fri Jan 25, 2008 3:02 pm

Oh... I just found out someone whose last name is Porra...
Is that a common name (family name) in Finland?
Minä olen kotoisin Imagesta, mutta asun Imagessa

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Von Metterling
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by Von Metterling » Fri Jan 25, 2008 8:52 pm

Finnish / Albanian:

kusi = pee, piss / cooker

Finnish / Italian:

selvä / selva = clear, sober / forest
moro = bye / black haired, Moor

Jukka Aho
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Re: Re:

Post by Jukka Aho » Tue Jan 29, 2008 2:11 am

vn wrote:Does this I in tietokoneista means the word is in plural?
Yes. It’s the usual plural marker.
vn wrote:Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotoneista - I don't know much about computers ?
Exactly.
znark

vn
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by vn » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:01 am

Von Metterling wrote:Finnish / Italian:

selvä / selva = clear, sober / forest
haha Same in Portuguese! Selva means "forest, jungle"... haha
Minä olen kotoisin Imagesta, mutta asun Imagessa

vn
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Re: Re:

Post by vn » Tue Jan 29, 2008 3:02 am

Jukka Aho wrote:
vn wrote:Does this I in tietokoneista means the word is in plural?
Yes. It’s the usual plural marker.
vn wrote:Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotoneista - I don't know much about computers ?
Exactly.
Kiitos! :)
Minä olen kotoisin Imagesta, mutta asun Imagessa

Jukka Aho
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Re: Re:

Post by Jukka Aho » Tue Jan 29, 2008 5:49 am

vn wrote:
Jukka Aho wrote:
vn wrote:Minä en tiedä paljon tiekotoneista - I don't know much about computers ?
Exactly.
Kiitos! :)
Well, except that it’s tietokone and not tiekotone... :)
znark

muhaha
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by muhaha » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:35 pm

Luin jostain että kreikan sana 'peina' tarkoittaa nälkää. Lausutaan kuten suomen 'piina'.

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Hank W.
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by Hank W. » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:41 pm

More like "agony"...

In greek there is a good song "paskalittera" for finnish army...
littera= army special tricket to get free transport
paska= sh*t

So, no leave :lol:
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

sammy
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by sammy » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:48 pm

Hank W. wrote:More like "agony"...

In greek there is a good song "paskalittera" for finnish army...
littera= army special tricket to get free transport
paska= sh*t

So, no leave :lol:
No, actually hunger does seem to be πείνα ... agony is αγωνία or μαρτύριο... (based on an on-line dictionary - don't ask me in more detail, it's all Greek to me :wink: )

But paskalittera... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgiKSpOdxj8 :lol:

sammy
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Re: Fun with Finnish (and other languages)

Post by sammy » Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:55 pm

Tässä toinen suomi-kreikka -esimerkki... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chMDsXnpBnQ

Mono ja kaappi! ("Only love"? -> ski-shoe and cupboard :wink:)

Ai joo.. ja vielä "Anna vissi" :lol: "Vissi" is colloquial for "varma" (certain) No se on varma = no se on vissi

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Andrew_S
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Re: Re:

Post by Andrew_S » Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:34 pm

Jukka Aho wrote:porras = a stair; a single step in a flight of stairs
portaikko = a flight of stairs
porraskäytävä = a stairwell

(Sometimes porras is also used in a more generic sense, for the entire staircase, but that’s a bit silly in my opinion...)
Am I right in thinking that porras is sometimes used in the sense of entrance? Like porras A and porras B in some large buildings, I seem to remember seeing.
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