In this lesson, you will learn five common Finnish greetings and farewells. You will see when to use casual expressions like Hei and Hei hei, and when to choose polite ones like Hyvää päivää and Näkemiin. Listen to the recording, repeat aloud, and practice choosing the right phrase for each situation.
Objectives
- Greet someone casually at any time of day using Hei.
- Use polite time-specific greetings Hyvää huomenta and Hyvää päivää appropriately.
- Say goodbye politely with Näkemiin or casually with Hei hei.
Phrases
Hi / Hello
Casual greeting that works at any time of day. Also used when parting casually.Good morning
Polite morning greeting. A fixed partitive expression.Good day
Polite daytime greeting. A fixed partitive expression.Goodbye
Polite farewell for formal or less familiar situations.Bye-bye
Relaxed goodbye with a close friend. A casual repetition of Hei.Explanations
Casual hello and goodbye: Hei
Hei is a common casual greeting that works at any time of day. It is also used when parting in casual situations, often repeated as Hei hei. Use it with friends, family, and people you know well.
Polite time-specific greetings: Hyvää huomenta and Hyvää päivää
Hyvää huomenta means 'good morning' and Hyvää päivää means 'good day'. They are fixed expressions in the partitive case, used as polite greetings during the morning and daytime respectively. Choose Hyvää huomenta in the morning and Hyvää päivää later in the day.
Polite farewell: Näkemiin
Näkemiin is a polite farewell that suits formal or less familiar situations, such as leaving a shop or saying goodbye to an elder. For a relaxed goodbye with a close friend, use Hei hei instead.
Dialogue
Hi!
Hi! Good day.
Goodbye!
Goodbye!
Pronunciation
Listen carefully to the recording and repeat each phrase aloud. Pay attention to long vowels and double consonants, such as the ää in Hyvää and the ii in Näkemiin. Copy the rhythm and intonation you hear.
Common mistake
Using a casual greeting like Hei in a formal situation, such as greeting an elder or a shopkeeper politely.
In formal or less familiar situations, choose a polite greeting such as Hyvää päivää or a polite farewell such as Näkemiin.
Practice
Greet a close friend casually, regardless of the time of day.
Choose the short casual greeting that works at any time.
Show answer
HeiHei is the casual greeting that fits any time of day and is used with people you know well.
Say a polite goodbye to a shopkeeper as you leave the store.
Choose the polite farewell for less familiar situations.
Show answer
NäkemiinNäkemiin is the polite farewell that suits leaving a shop or saying goodbye to someone you do not know well.
Say a relaxed goodbye to a close friend.
Choose the casual repeated form of Hei.
Show answer
Hei heiHei hei is the relaxed goodbye used with close friends.
Use Hei for casual hellos and goodbyes at any time, Hyvää huomenta and Hyvää päivää for polite time-specific greetings, Näkemiin for a polite farewell, and Hei hei for a relaxed goodbye with friends.
Practice with Yapr
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning; use this lesson with a Yapr AI tutor.
Practice on Yapr