kieli
/ˈkie̯li/
The English word 'language' is translated into Finnish as kieli.
kieli refers to a body of words used for communication. In scientific or linguistic contexts, the adjective lingvistinen is used to describe anything related to language. If you are specifically discussing a person's language skills or proficiency, the term kielitaito is used instead.
Meaning: body of words used as a form of communication (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word kieli literally means 'tongue' in addition to 'language'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
To refer to a local dialect, use the word murre.
How does it change in a sentence?
The genitive form kielen is used to indicate possession or an 'of' relationship, such as 'the rules of the language'. To express that something is 'in a language', you can use the adessive case kielellä, though the adverbial form (like suomeksi) is often more common in practice.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkie̯li/
Did you know?
- In Finnish folklore and idioms, the 'tongue' kieli is often personified as an independent actor that can 'run away' or 'betray' the speaker.
- Finnish distinguishes between a full language kieli and a dialect murre, and using the wrong term can imply a political statement about a region's identity.
- The Proto-Uralic root *käle is the ancient ancestor of the modern Finnish kieli, linking the concept of 'tongue' to thousands of years of linguistic history.
Examples in context
- Iiri on kaunis kieli.Irish is a beautiful language.This sentence shows how to describe Irish as a beautiful language using kieli.Tatoeba #10644283 by Silja, translation #2714870 by CN
- Kymri on kaunis kieli.Welsh is a beautiful language.This sentence shows how to describe Welsh as a beautiful language using kieli.Tatoeba #6704268 by Orava, translation #1547501 by CN
- Ranska on vaikea kieli.French is a difficult language.This sentence shows how to describe French as a difficult language using kieli.Tatoeba #3794001 by Silja, translation #2857324 by AlanF_US
- minulla on hyvä englannin kielitaitoI have good English language skills
- lingvistinen tutkimusLinguistic research
- kauniita kieliäBeautiful languages
- 100 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Antti are talking about language learning at a cafe.
- EmmaMikä kieli on suosikkisi?What is your favorite language?
- AnttiPidän italiasta, koska se on kaunis kieli.I like Italian because it is a beautiful language.
- EmmaMinun suosikkini on suomi.My favorite is Finnish.
- AnttiSe on todella vaikea kieli.That is a really difficult language.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “language” translations and entries kieli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kieli, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
