apina
/ˈɑpinɑ/
The English word "monkey" is apina in Finnish.
apina is a noun used to refer to the primate.
Meaning: primate (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural nominative form is apinat. To indicate possession or belonging to a monkey, use the genitive form apinan. The partitive form apinaa is used when referring to an unspecified amount or when the monkey is the object of an incomplete action, such as 'seeing a monkey'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɑpinɑ/
Did you know?
- While apina is the standard word for monkey, Finnish uses the same word for both small monkeys and large apes like chimpanzees.
- The Finnish word apina is derived from the Old Norse word apynja, which specifically meant a 'female monkey'.
- While apina refers to the animal, in Finnish slang, calling someone an apina can imply they are being silly or acting like a clown.
Examples in context
- Minun apinani juoksi pois!My monkey ran away!This sentence shows how to use apina when describing a monkey running away.Tatoeba #8282523 by Thanuir, translation #537045 by tomkun01
- Oletko koskaan nähnyt apinaa?Have you ever seen a monkey?This sentence demonstrates the use of the partitive form apinaa when asking if someone has seen a monkey.Tatoeba #3625370 by Silja, translation #2940756 by Hakaku
- Hei katso, kolmipäinen apina!Hey, look, a three-headed monkey!This sentence shows the use of the nominative apina in an exclamation.Tatoeba #10528340 by ameliette, translation #1839 by Zifre
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matti and Anna are visiting a zoo.
- MattiKatso, tuolla on iso apina.Look, there is a big monkey over there.
- AnnaSe apina näyttää syövän banaania.That monkey looks like it is eating a banana.
- MattiOnko se sinun lempiapinasi?Is it your favorite monkey?
- AnnaEi, mutta se on silti söpö.No, but it is still cute.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “monkey” translations and entries apina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries apina, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
