metsästäjä
/ˈmetsæstæjæ/
The English word hunter is metsästäjä in Finnish.
metsästäjä is a noun referring to a person who hunts animals.
Meaning: person who hunts animals (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of metsästää, meaning to hunt and the suffix -jä, which denotes a person who performs an action.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form, hunters, is created by adding the suffix -t to the end of the word to make metsästäjät. To show possession or to say 'of the hunter', you add the suffix -n to the end of the word to form metsästäjän.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmetsæstæjæ/
Did you know?
- While metsästäjä is the standard term, an older or more poetic way to refer to a hunter in Finnish literature is metsänpoika, which literally means 'forest boy'.
- The root word metsästää comes from metsä, meaning 'forest', so a hunter is literally someone who 'forests' or acts within the forest.
- In Finnish folklore and the national epic 'Kalevala', the figure of the hunter often interacts with magical forest spirits, giving the word metsästäjä a mythical resonance in literature.
Examples in context
- Metsästäjä seurasi karhun jälkiä.The hunter followed the bear's tracks.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use metsästäjä in the context of following animal tracks.Tatoeba #7992408 by Thanuir, translation #325816 by CK
- Metsästäjä ampuu peuroja ja jäniksiä.The hunter shoots deer and hares.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use metsästäjä when describing shooting animals.Tatoeba #4540713 by Sanaseppo, translation #4539178 by mailohilohi
- Metsästäjä pyysi jäniksiä koiransa avulla.A hunter hunted hares with his dog.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use metsästäjä in a sentence involving a dog.Tatoeba #2887457 by Kalle63, translation #34956 by Dejo
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Antti and Laura are talking about a movie.
- AnttiKuka tuo mies on elokuvassa?Who is that man in the movie?
- LauraHän on kokenut metsästäjä.He is an experienced hunter.
- AnttiOnko hänestä hyvä metsästäjä?Is he a good hunter?
- LauraKyllä, hän löytää aina saaliin.Yes, he always finds prey.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry metsästäjä, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
