sipuli
/ˈsipuli/
The Finnish word for onion is sipuli. If unsure, use sipuli. Wiktionary also lists keltasipuli.
Meaning: bulb (noun)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| sipuli | /ˈsipuli/ |
| keltasipuli | /ˈkeltɑˌsipuli/ |
sipuli is the general term used for an onion as a bulb.
Which one should you use?
While sipuli is the general word for any onion, keltasipuli refers specifically to a yellow onion.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'of the onion', use the genitive form sipulin. When referring to an unspecified amount of onion, such as in 'There is onion in the soup', use the partitive form sipulia.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsipuli/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Note that while sipuli refers to onion, the word for garlic is valkosipuli, which literally means 'white onion'.
Did you know?
- The word sipuli is used to describe the bulb of a flower, such as a tulip, even though the flower is not edible.
- The Finnish word sipuli is an example of a 'loanword' that traveled through three different languages before reaching Finland.
- Finnish does not have a single specific word for 'shallot' that is common in everyday speech, often relying on descriptive terms involving sipuli.
Examples in context
- Aah, ne ovat sipulin makuisia rinkeleitä.Aah, they're onion-flavoured bagels.This example shows how to use sipuli when describing food flavors.Tatoeba #6978907 by Silja, translation #639659 by Scott
- Sipulikeitto on kuuluisa ranskalainen ruokalaji.Onion soup is a famous French dish.This example uses sipuli to name a specific dish.Tatoeba #3800798 by Silja, translation #2196708 by bonvasilisa
- Puutarhassani on paljon vihanneksia: lehtisalaattia, sipulia, valkosipulia jne.There are in my garden a lot of vegetables: lettuce, onion, garlic, etc.This example lists sipuli as one of several vegetables in a garden.Tatoeba #3251947 by Silja, translation #1740184 by Djef_Messaoudi
- Lisää sipuli pannulle.Add the onion to the pan.
- Tarvitsemme yhden sipulin tähän reseptiin.We need one onion for this recipe.
- Heitä se sipuli tänne!Throw that onion here!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matti and Sofia are grocery shopping together.
- MattiTarvitsemmeko me vielä sipulia?Do we need onion still?
- SofiaKyllä, osta iso sipuli.Yes, buy a large onion.
- MattiOlisiko tämä sipuli tarpeeksi suuri?Would this onion be large enough?
- SofiaSe on ihan hyvä.It is quite good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “onion” translations and entries sipuli, keltasipuli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries keltasipuli, sipuli, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
