olen sairaanhoitaja
/ˈolen ˈsɑi̯rɑːnˌhoi̯tɑjɑ/word by word
To say "I am a nurse" in Finnish, use olen sairaanhoitaja.
This phrase is used to state that your profession is nursing.
What does it mean word for word?
The word sairaanhoitaja is a compound noun. It is composed of sairas, meaning sick and hoitaja, meaning caregiver or attendant.
How does it change in a sentence?
When stating your profession in Finnish, you do not use an indefinite article like "a" or "an". Additionally, always begin the sentence with a capital letter if it is the start of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈolen ˈsɑi̯rɑːnˌhoi̯tɑjɑ/
Did you know?
- If you wanted to say you are a male nurse specifically, the phrase olen sairaanhoitaja remains the same, as Finnish does not use gendered nouns for professions.
- The root hoitaja comes from the verb hoitaa, which means not only to nurse or care for but also to manage or handle a task.
- The word sairaanhoitaja contains a hidden grammatical rule where the first part, sairaan, is actually in the genitive case, meaning 'of a sick person'.
Examples in context
- Olen sairaanhoitaja ja työskentelen sairaalassa.I am a nurse and I work in a hospital.
Example conversation
Emma and Mikko are meeting for the first time at a social event.
- EmmaHei, minä olen Emma.Hi, I am Emma.
- MikkoHauska tavata, minä olen Mikko.Nice to meet you, I am Mikko.
- EmmaMitä sinä teet työksesi? Minä olen sairaanhoitaja.What do you do for a living? I am a nurse.
- MikkoOlen opiskelija.I am a student.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (olen, sairaanhoitaja) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sairaanhoitaja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
