As a gateway to the Nordics, COMUNICA specialises not only in the Scandinavian languages, but also in the translation of Finnish to English and vice versa. Our English to Finnish and Finnish to English translation services both help businesses and individuals in Finland to reach out to the wider world and make it possible for international companies and individuals to connect with this lucrative market.
About Finland
Although Finland is a relatively large country in terms of square mileage, its spare population and marginal location on the fringes of north-western Europe mean it isn’t always a country that’s on everybody’s radar. But even so, Finland boasts a strong economy, a solid governance system and a populace that is creative and industrious in equal measure.
Some facts about Finland:
- Finland has the 43rd biggest economy in the world, and it ranks number 14 in terms of GDP per capita.
- The country has a population of around 5.5 million people, of which 1.26 million live in the capital, Helsinki, and its greater metropolitan area.
- Outside of the capital and a few other big cities like Turku and Tampere, 75% of the country’s landmass is forested. That’s more than any other European country.
- Finnish is completely unrelated to the nearby Scandinavian languages and even to Russian. It is a Uralic language which means it shares more in common with Hungarian than Swedish.
- Speaking of Swedish, though, this is the country’s official second language and one which most kids learn at school. Finland even has its own distinct flavour of Swedish, which we’ve written about on our blog.
- Finns drink more coffee than any other country in the world. They consume a massive 8.9 kilograms of coffee per person per year!
Why is the Finnish Language So Different?
As mentioned above, Finnish is a Uralic language which means it bears very little relation to Swedish, Danish and Norwegian which are all North Germanic languages. Finnish isn’t even similar to Russian, which is a Slavic language. So why is this the case? The truth is that nobody knows for sure and there have been many different theories over the years. The most widely held explanation today is that Finnish originated as a Proto-Uralic language somewhere in the boreal forest belt around the Ural Mountains region.
Why Translate Finnish to English and English to Finnish?
Like their Nordic neighbours, the Finns have a reputation for being particularly adept speaks of the English language. Indeed, Swedish isn’t the only language Finns learn at school. Around 70% of Finns report being able to speak English fluently, and in 2018 the country ranked sixth in a global league table of English language proficiency.
Taken at face value, these figures could very easily be used to justify skimping on the costs of Finnish translation. After all, if Finns are so proficient and comfortable using English, why waste the money on translating content into their language? Well, the reason is that Finns are much like the rest of the non-Anglophone world – as studies have shown, although they may have the ability to use English, they are more inclined to trust and to engage with content in their own language.
When it comes to translating Finnish into English, the case is even clearer. Helsinki actually made headlines a few years ago when the mayor suggested it should declare itself an English-speaking capital. The reason? Exacting language requirements and the complexities of Finnish were putting off valuable international talent. Did we mention yet that besides being a Uralic language, Finnish has a massive fifteen cases and is notoriously difficult for foreigners to grasp?
So while Finnish may be a comfort for native Finns, it can prove nigh-on impenetrable for outsiders to penetrate. The solution to this conundrum? Translation services between the two languages, of course!
What are the Pitfalls of Finnish to English Translation?
As with all language pairs, there are a number of false friends between Finnish and English which mean that, even if Finns make themselves understood with great efficiency, a few odd turns of phrase tend to litter their speech.
For example, Finns often talk about eating medicines, doing tedious homeworks like dusting and hoovering or putting raisins in their glue wine. The Swedish language also contributes to a number of faux-pas, with Swedishisms like till example and absolutist (for a teetotaller) slipping into their English speech. The fact that Finnish has no grammatical gender doesn’t help either and occasionally causes Finns to mix up words like he, she and they.
Other Finnishisms which have gained recognition include the non-existent phrases ‘what comes to’ instead of ‘regarding’ or ‘on the subject of’, and the made-up word ‘unclarity’. Definite and indefinite articles can also pose a challenge due to the different rules governing how these are used between the two languages. You will often hear Finns omitting key words like ‘a’ or ‘the’ and this can lead to misunderstandings.
Consider for example the following sentence: ‘I am at park’. The reader of this sentence will likely be left asking themselves a glaring question – which park? The park … as in a park familiar to both interlocutors, perhaps a park outside their apartment building or house. Or maybe just a park. Any park. A park on the other side of the city, perhaps? Depending on what exactly it is the speaker wants to communicate, these issues can leave big gaps in their communication.
What are the Pitfalls of English to Finnish Translation?
With Finnish being such a complex language, it presents plenty of opportunities for non-native Finns to make mistakes. Even English speakers with a fairly good grasp of the Finnish language tend to repeat a number of persistent mistakes.
Errors relating to case are a prime example. Every time a sentence is formulated in Finnish, the speaker must decide whether to put the object into the sentence of one of three cases – the partitive, nominative or accusative case. If your brain has been wired to do this then the process is subconscious, but if not, it involves mentally navigating a complex set of rules of scenarios in order to alight on the correct option.
Precisely because Finnish grammar is so complex, a lot of information is built into the way verbs are conjugated and how nouns are declined. This means a number of words become redundant as they repeat information already present elsewhere in the sentence, and Finns tend to drop these words without a second thought. Many non-native speakers, however, including relatively advanced ones, tend to hold on to these dead weights, producing speech or text that feels less than natural to native Finns.
Professional Translations Elevate Quality
So as you can see, high-level speakers of both languages tend to make mistakes and inflect their speech with small giveaways that might cause native ears to twitch. Although these issues only occasionally interfere with meaning, they can put readers on their guard and make a text appear unprofessional or untrustworthy. It’s important to remember that even small mistakes can be enough to raise red flags.
So rather than rely on second-language experience for your English to Finnish translation jobs and vice versa, we recommend using a professional translator for the assignment instead. Not only will a professional translator always be working into their native language, and thus avoiding the kinds of pitfalls considered above, they will also be trained in additional skills such as localisation and professional proofreading. In short, this means your text will be free from errors and adapted to its local audience for maximum impact and authority.
Why Choose COMUNICA for your Finnish to English and English to Finnish Translation Needs?
Here at Comunica, we work with native, human and experienced translators who are both qualified and experienced taking texts in English or Finnish and transforming them into artful, accurate and elegant translations in the other language. Our translators always work into their native language, meaning they are not prone to making any of the common mistakes considered on this page.
In addition, our linguists also have the proper qualifications and extensive familiarity with the target culture, so they can be sure to produce pieces of writing that read naturally and will hit home with their intended audience. This means you can rest assured that the final result will be a polished and professional text, successfully bringing your message across to a new market.
If you would like to learn more about us and how we can help you with our Finnish to English and English to Finnish translation services, you are very welcome to get in touch with us for an informal chat about your translation needs and how we can assist.
Alternatively, you can use our online form to get a commitment-free quote quickly and easily for your Finnish to English or English to Finnish translation needs.
So ‘what comes to translation’, be sure to avoid ‘unclarities’ and choose a partner you can count on! 😉
Hyvästi!
