Finnish

American  

[fin-ish] / ˈfɪn ɪʃ /

noun

1. the principal language of Finland, a Uralic language related closely to Estonian and remotely to Hungarian.

2. Finnic.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Finland or its inhabitants.

2. Finnic.

Finnish British  

/ ˈfɪnɪʃ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Finland, the Finns, or their language

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noun

1. the official language of Finland, also spoken in Estonia and NW Russia, belonging to the Finno-Ugric family

Other Word Forms

• anti-Finnish
  adjective
• pro-Finnish
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Finnish

First recorded in 1780–90; Finn + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Finnish champion Mika - remembered for his battles with F1 great Michael Schumacher - then took his daughter to try outdoor karting.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

It's performed by pop star Pete Parkonnen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius – a hook-up that's the Finnish equivalent of Harry Styles doing a duet with Nicola Benedetti.

From BBC • May 15, 2026

The project is a collaboration between the university hospitals of Helsinki, Kuopio and Turku, Hatanpää Hospital in Tampere, Hospital Nova in Jyväskylä and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

Beaming with excitement, Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius and singer Pete Parkkonen entered a studio in Helsinki for their final rehearsals, before departing to Vienna, where they are tipped to win Eurovision.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

But then he pulled out a coin, a Finnish five-mark coin, popped it open with a pin, and dumped out a tiny piece of microfilm.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin