hei, nimeni on
The English phrase "hello, my name is" is translated into Finnish as hei, nimeni on.
The phrase is used to introduce oneself to another person.
What does it mean word for word?
The word nimeni is a combination of nimi (name) and the possessive suffix -ni (my). The word on is the third-person singular form of the verb olla (to be).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
You can use moi, nimeni on as a common, slightly more casual way to say hello. For an even more informal approach, you can say Hei, mä olen.
Did you know?
- The greeting hei shares a common ancestor with the English 'hey', suggesting a very ancient linguistic connection between these distant languages.
- Because Finnish does not have articles like 'a' or 'the', the phrase nimeni on literally translates as 'name-my is'.
- The casual form mä olen uses the word mä, which is a spoken-language version of the formal word for 'I', minä.
Examples in context
- Hei, mä olen Matti.Hello, my name is Matti.
- Hei, nimeni on Pekka.Hello, my name is Pekka.
- Hei, nimeni on Maria.Hello, my name is Maria.
- Hei, nimeni on Ville ja olen opettaja.Hello, my name is Ville and I am a teacher.
Example conversation
Two people meet for the first time at a party.
- AnnaHei, nimeni on Anna.Hello, my name is Anna.
- MattiHei Anna, nimeni on Matti.Hello Anna, my name is Matti.
- AnnaHauska tavata, Matti.Nice to meet you, Matti.
- MattiKiitos, hauska tavata sinuakin.Thanks, nice to meet you too.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
