selvä
/ˈselʋæ/
The Finnish word for okay is selvä.
selvä is used as an interjection to acknowledge an instruction or to signal that you have understood something.
Meaning: OK (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, selvä means 'clear' or 'distinct'.
Which one should you use?
While selvä can function as an adjective meaning 'clear', in this context it serves as an interjection meaning 'OK' or 'understood'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
selvä is a neutral and safe way to say 'OK' in most everyday situations.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈselʋæ/
Did you know?
- In Finnish, selvä can be used to describe a person who is sober, as in selvänä, meaning 'while clear'.
- If a Finnish speaker says selvä with a falling intonation and a short pause, it can sometimes signal that they are annoyed rather than just agreeing.
- The word selvä is related to the word selvittää, which means to investigate or resolve a problem.
Examples in context
- Selvä. Sori.Okay. Sorry.This sentence shows how to use selvä to acknowledge something before apologizing.Tatoeba #7837152 by Thanuir, translation #28610 by engberg
- Voitko auttaa minua tänään? Person B: Joo, totta kai!Can you help me today? Person B: Yeah, of course!
- Selvä, menen nyt.Okay, I'm going now.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Matti are discussing their meeting time.
- LauraTavataan kello viisi, selvä?We'll meet at five, okay?
- MattiSelvä, Laura.Okay, Laura.
- LauraNähdään silloin!See you then!
- MattiHeippa!Bye!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry selvä, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
