karitsa
/ˈkɑritsɑ/
The Finnish word for lamb is karitsa.
karitsa refers specifically to a young sheep.
Meaning: young sheep (noun)
Which one should you use?
While karitsa is used for a young lamb, the general word for a sheep is lammas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Karitsa is used in some regional dialects.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession, such as 'of the lamb', use the genitive form karitsan. For indefinite amounts or certain grammatical constructions, use the partitive form karitsaa. The plural nominative form for 'the lambs' is karitsat.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkɑritsɑ/
Did you know?
- The word karitsa is thought to be related to the verb karata, which means 'to run away' or 'to hop'. This evokes the image of a young, energetic animal jumping around in a field.
- In certain Finnish folk songs and traditional poetry, the image of a 'karitsa' is often used as a metaphor for innocence or vulnerability, much like 'lamb' in English literature.
- Because Finnish lacks gendered nouns, karitsa is used for both male and female lambs without needing to specify the sex, unlike the English 'ewe lamb' or 'ram lamb'.
Examples in context
- Karitsa seurasi Maria kouluun.The lamb followed Mary to school.This sentence shows how to use karitsa as the subject of a sentence.Tatoeba #5251221 by Orava, translation #5167983 by Hybrid
- Karitsa on hyvin pieni.The lamb is very small.
- Näkimme pienen karitsan pellolla.We saw a small lamb in the field.
Example conversation
Emma and Juho are looking at a farm through a fence.
- EmmaKatso, tuolla on karitsa!Look, there is a lamb!
- JuhoSe on todella suloinen.It is really cute.
- EmmaOnko se sinun suosikkisi?Is it your favorite?
- JuhoKyllä, se on.Yes, it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lamb” translations and entries karitsa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries karitsa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
