keksi
/ˈkeksi/
The English word "biscuit" is keksi in Finnish.
keksi refers to a small, flat baked good, similar to a cookie or a cracker.
Meaning: small, flat baked good (noun)
Which one should you use?
While keksi is the general term for a biscuit or cookie, the specific term kaurakeksi is used to refer to an oat biscuit.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form keksi can change depending on its role in a sentence: the partitive form is keksiä, the genitive form is keksin and the plural form is keksit.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkeksi/
Did you know?
- The Swedish word kex, which Finnish borrowed from, was itself originally borrowed from the English word 'cakes'.
- The word keksi shares a phonetic similarity with the Finnish verb keksiä, which means 'to invent'.
- Unlike in some English-speaking cultures where 'biscuit' can mean a savory quick bread, a keksi in Finland is almost exclusively sweet or a dry cracker.
Examples in context
- Tom tykkää kastaa keksiä kahviinsa.Tom likes to dunk his biscuit in his coffee.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use keksi when talking about dunking a biscuit in coffee.Tatoeba #3279000 by Silja, translation #3186806 by patgfisher
- Tarjoilijalta: "Haluaisitteko lisää keksejä kahvinne kanssa?"Would you like more biscuits with your coffee?
- Tämä keksi on todella rapea.This biscuit is really crunchy.
Example conversation
Matti and Sofia are sharing a snack in the kitchen.
- MattiHaluatko sinä tämän keksin?Do you want this biscuit?
- SofiaKiitos, se näyttää hyvältä.Thanks, it looks good.
- MattiOnko se sinun suosikkisi?Is it your favorite?
- SofiaKyllä, se on aivan herkullinen.Yes, it is absolutely delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “biscuit” translations and entries keksi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries keksi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
