perhonen
/ˈperhonen/
The English word "butterfly" is perhonen in Finnish.
perhonen refers to the insect known as a butterfly.
Meaning: insect (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive form, meaning "of a butterfly", is perhosen. The partitive form is perhosta. To refer to multiple butterflies in the plural nominative, use perhoset. If you are referring to some butterflies in the partitive plural, use perhosia.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈperhonen/
Did you know?
- In Finnish culture, the perhonen is often used as a symbol of the soul or a messenger between the living and the dead.
- The root word perho also refers to a specific type of fishing fly used to attract fish. This links the delicate insect to the art of fly fishing through the same word.
- The diminutive suffix -nen in perhonen historically indicated smallness or affection, suggesting the insect was viewed as a 'little fly'.
Examples in context
- Oi, täällä on perhonen!Oh, there's a butterfly!This sentence shows how to point out the presence of a perhonen.Tatoeba #2740037 by sni, translation #1328 by brauliobezerra
- Sinä olet kaunis perhonen.You are a beautiful butterfly.This sentence uses perhonen in a metaphorical or descriptive sense.Tatoeba #5911459 by Orava, translation #68974 by CM
- Kuinka kauan perhonen elää?How long does a butterfly live?This sentence asks a question regarding the lifespan of a perhonen.Tatoeba #4536769 by sni, translation #4536145 by CK
- Näin kauniin perhosen puutarhassani tänä aamuna.I saw a beautiful butterfly in my garden this morning.
- Kävimme kesäpäivänä metsässä ja siellä oli kauniita perhosia.We went to the forest on a summer day, and there were beautiful butterflies there.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anna and Mikko are sitting in a meadow.
- AnnaKatso, tuo perhonen on sininen.Look, that butterfly is blue.
- MikkoSe on todella kaunis perhonen.It is a truly beautiful butterfly.
- AnnaLennäkö se kauas pois?Will it fly far away?
- MikkoEhkä se jää tänne hetkeksi.Maybe it will stay here for a while.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butterfly” translations and entries perhonen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries perhonen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
