kummitäti
/ˈkumːiˌtæti/
The English phrase godmother is translated into Finnish as kummitäti.
The term refers to a woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner.
Meaning: woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of kummi (godparent) and täti (aunt).
How does it change in a sentence?
The word kummitäti follows standard Finnish noun declension. For example, the partitive singular is kummitätiä.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkumːiˌtæti/
Did you know?
- While kummitäti is used for a formal role, the word kummitäti sounds very similar to the word kummitus, which means 'ghost' or 'phantom'.
- While kummitäti implies a religious role, the word kummi is used in Finnish schools and workplaces to describe a 'buddy' or mentor assigned to a newcomer.
- In Finnish culture, it is common for a child to have a large number of kummi rather than just one or two godparents.
Examples in context
- Kummitäti tulee pian vierailulle.The godmother is coming for a visit soon.
- Minä haluan olla lapsen kummitäti.I want to be the child's godmother.
Example conversation
Mikko and Laura are looking at a baby photo.
- MikkoKuka on tämä nainen kuvassa?Who is this woman in the picture?
- LauraHän on lapsen kummitäti.She is the child's godmother.
- MikkoOnko hän sukulainen?Is she a relative?
- LauraKyllä, hän on minun siskoni.Yes, she is my sister.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “godmother” translations and entries kummitäti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
