Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| okei | /ˈokei̯/ |
| selvä | /ˈselʋæ/ |
Finnish uses different words to express acknowledgement or acceptance depending on the context. selvä is used to signal that you have understood a piece of information or an instruction, often acting as a standalone response to confirm comprehension, much like saying 'Understood' or 'Roger'. In informal conversations, the word joo can also serve as an equivalent to 'ok' or 'yeah'.
Which one should you use?
okei is a loanword from English used in casual, everyday speech. In contrast, selvä literally means 'clear' and is used to signal that you have understood a piece of information or an instruction.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
okei is very casual. selvä is more appropriate for professional or slightly more formal settings when acknowledging instructions.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈokei̯/
Did you know?
- While selvä means 'clear', it is often used to end a conversation abruptly. Depending on the tone, it can signal that the speaker is no longer interested in discussing the topic.
- In many Finnish workplaces, using only okei to acknowledge a boss's instruction might be perceived as too relaxed or even slightly disrespectful compared to using selvä.
- The word selvä is a cognate of the Ingrian, Karelian, and Kukkuzi words for 'clear', showing that this way of acknowledging information predates the arrival of the English 'ok'.
Examples in context
- Se on vain naarmu, selvä?It's just a scratch, OK?This sentence uses selvä to check for understanding.Tatoeba #3797612 by Silja, translation #2953112 by CK
- Selvä, en tee sitä uudelleen.OK, I won't do it again.This sentence uses selvä as an acknowledgement of a statement.Tatoeba #3832603 by Silja, translation #3826881 by CK
- Katso mikä on vialla, onko selvä?See what the problem is, OK?This sentence uses selvä to confirm comprehension in a question.Tatoeba #2668037 by Silja, translation #2663429 by CK
- Joo, selvä juttu!Yeah, clear thing! / No problem!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mikko and Anna are deciding when to meet for coffee.
- MikkoNähdäänkö huomenna kello kymmenen?Shall we meet tomorrow at ten?
- AnnaOkei, sopii hyvin.Okay, that works well.
- MikkoTavataan siis keskustassa.So, let's meet downtown.
- AnnaOkei, nähdään silloin!Okay, see you then!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ok” translations and entries okei, selvä, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries okei, selvä, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
