elämä
/ˈelæmæ/
The English phrase "life" can be translated into Finnish using elämä. Wiktionary also lists henki and nirri.
Meaning: the state of being alive (noun)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| elämä | /ˈelæmæ/ | |
| henki | /ˈheŋki/ | |
| nirri | /ˈnirːi/ | colloquial |
| elo | /ˈelo/ |
The primary word for the state of being alive is elämä. Depending on the context, you might also encounter words referring to the vital life force or more informal slang.
Which one should you use?
While elämä refers to the biological state of being alive, henki refers to the spirit, breath or the vital life force within a living being.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Nirri is a slang or highly colloquial way to refer to life, often used in a lighthearted or irreverent manner. For formal or philosophical contexts, the term olemassaolo can be used to refer to life.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the idiom Se on vain elämää!, the word elämä appears as elämää because it is in the partitive case, referring to an unspecified, uncountable amount of life.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈelæmæ/
Did you know?
- The word henki is used in Finnish to mean both 'soul' and 'person', as in 'five souls' to describe five people.
- In Finnish, the word elo is a loanword from a Sami language, showing an ancient linguistic exchange between the Finnic and Sami peoples.
- The slang term nirri is a linguistic mystery, as its origins are unknown and it does not follow standard morphological patterns of the other words for life.
Examples in context
- Se on vain elämää!That's life!This sentence shows how to use the partitive form of elämä in a common idiom.Tatoeba #10182585 by Johannes_S, translation #10010723 by DJ_Saidez
- Mun elämä on tylsää.My life is boring.This sentence shows how to use the word elämä to describe one's personal life.Tatoeba #6865436 by Orava, translation #2751480 by Hybrid
- Elämä on kuin matka.Life is like a journey.This sentence shows how to use elämä in a metaphorical context.Tatoeba #9747155 by Johannes_S, translation #270595 by sacredceltic
- Moi! Miten menee? Mikä on sun juttu elämässä tällä hetkellä?Hey! How's it going? What's your thing in life right now?
- 361 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Antti and Sofia are talking about moving to a new city.
- AnttiUusi elämä odottaa meitä.A new life awaits us.
- SofiaOletko sinä siitä todella innoissasi?Are you really excited about it?
- AnttiKyllä, se on iso muutos.Yes, it is a big change.
- SofiaMinäkin olen aika innoissani.I am quite excited too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “life” translations and entries elämä, henki, nirri, elo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries elo, elämä, henki, nirri, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
