Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| onnea! | |
| tsemppiä | /ˈtsempːiæ/ |
| lykkyä tykö | /ˈlykːyæ ˈtykø/ |
| onnea matkaan |
The most common way to wish someone luck is onnea! If you want to wish someone luck specifically as they depart on a trip or begin a new phase in life, use onnea matkaan. The phrase lykkyä tykö also conveys good luck. Finally, tsemppiä is used specifically to offer encouragement during a difficult task, a stressful exam or in sports.
What does it mean word for word?
The word onnea is the partitive case of onni, which means luck, fortune or happiness. In the phrase lykkyä tykö, the word tykö is a directional particle meaning "towards" or "to".
Which one should you use?
Use onnea! to wish someone general good luck. In contrast, use tsemppiä to offer encouragement when someone is facing a challenge or a difficult task. Onnea matkaan is reserved for when someone is starting a journey or a new stage in life.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Tsemppiä is a colloquial form of encouragement. For very formal situations, you might say Toivotan sinulle menestystä (I wish you success) or Olkoon onni myötäinen (May luck be with you).
Is it said differently in some regions?
Lykkyä tykö is a somewhat archaic or dialectal way to say "good luck to you".
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase lykkyä tykö uses the particle tykö to function as "to" or "towards" in a directional sense.
Did you know?
- In Finnish, the word onnea is used both to wish someone 'good luck' and to say 'congratulations'.
- The word tsemppiä is actually derived from the Swedish word 'tempo', which refers to pace or speed.
- The phrase lykkyä tykö is a direct translation, or calque, of the Swedish expression 'lycka till'.
Examples in context
- Lykkyä tykö!Good luck!This is an example of wishing someone good luck using the phrase lykkyä tykö.Tatoeba #2673681 by Kalle63, translation #429220 by Clavain
- Lykkyä tykö.I wish you good luck.This is another example of the phrase lykkyä tykö used in a sentence.Tatoeba #4061471 by Sanaseppo, translation #54468 by CK
- Onnea matkaan.Good luck.This example shows how to use onnea matkaan.Tatoeba #7935557 by Thanuir, translation #239431 by sacredceltic
- Toivon sinulle onnea uudessa työssäsi.I wish you good luck in your new job.
- Paljon onnea koemateriaalin läpäisemiseen!Good luck on passing the test material!
- Olkoon onni myötäinen yrityksellesi.May luck be with your endeavor.
- Tsemppiä tulevaan kilpailuun!Good luck in the upcoming competition!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Mikko are outside a classroom before an exam.
- SofiaOletko valmis kokeeseen, Mikko?Are you ready for the exam, Mikko?
- MikkoOlen aika hermostunut.I am quite nervous.
- SofiaKaikki menee hyvin. Onnea!Everything will go well. Good luck!
- MikkoKiitos paljon, Sofia!Thanks a lot, Sofia!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations and entries tsemppiä, lykkyä tykö, onnea matkaan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lykkyä tykö, tykö, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
