ei
/ˈei̯/
The English word "no" is expressed in Finnish as ei.
ei is used as a particle to show disagreement or negation. It can also function as a noun meaning a negating expression. Related expressions can be used to mean "not any", such as ei yhtään, ei mitään and ei yksikään.
Meaning: used to show disagreement or negation (particle)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Finnish, negation is handled by a verb that changes based on the person. The third-person singular form is ei (he/she/it does not / is not). Other forms include en (I do not / I am not), et (you do not / you are not), emme (we do not / we are not), ette (you plural/formal do not / are not) and eivät (they do not / are not).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈei̯/
Did you know?
- While ei is the standard word for 'no', Finnish has a separate set of negative imperative verbs derived from älä to tell someone 'do not' do something.
- Because ei functions as a verb, you can use it to form complete sentences without any other verb, such as saying 'I do not' as a full response.
Examples in context
- Et voi sanoa ei.You can't say no.Tatoeba #3335329 by Silja, translation #3330998 by CK
- Tämä ei ole hyvä.This is no good.Tatoeba #2602097 by Kalle63, translation #3363714 by CK
- Tämä ei ole vitsi.This is no joke.Tatoeba #2602060 by Kalle63, translation #1664612 by Spamster
- 1165 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura asks Antti if he is hungry.
- LauraOletko nälkäinen?Are you hungry?
- AnttiEi, kiitos.No, thank you.
- LauraHaluatko vettä?Do you want some water?
- AnttiEi, minulla on jo pullo.No, I already have a bottle.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no” translations and entries ei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ei, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
