kurpitsa
/ˈkurpitsɑ/
The Finnish word for pumpkin is kurpitsa. Wiktionary also lists pallokurpitsa.
Meaning: fruit of this plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| kurpitsa | /ˈkurpitsɑ/ |
| pallokurpitsa | /ˈpɑlːoˌkurpitsɑ/ |
The word refers to the fruit of the plant.
Which one should you use?
While kurpitsa refers to the general plant or edible fruit, pallokurpitsa specifically refers to the round, ornamental pumpkins often used for decoration.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the singular, the genitive form (meaning 'of the pumpkin' or 'a pumpkin') is kurpitsan and the inessive form (meaning 'in the pumpkin') is kurpitsassa. To say 'pumpkin seeds', you use the compound form kurpitsan siemenet, which is constructed using the genitive of kurpitsa and the plural of siemen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkurpitsɑ/
Did you know?
- The Swedish root of kurpitsa originally referred to a style of floral painting from the Dalarna region rather than the vegetable itself.
- Carving jack-o'-lanterns is viewed as a borrowed American custom in Finland rather than a native tradition.
- In Finnish, kurpitsa is used broadly for various gourds and squashes, meaning you might use the same word for a butternut squash as for a Halloween pumpkin.
Examples in context
- Ostin eilen kurpitsansiemeniä ennen kuin kirahvi puri minua.Yesterday I bought pumpkin seeds before the giraffe bit me.This sentence shows how to use the word kurpitsa when discussing seeds.Tatoeba #3517418 by Sanaseppo, translation #3515828 by VilhelmsPort
- Tomi kaiversi kurpitsan.Tom carved a pumpkin.This sentence uses kurpitsa in the context of carving.Tatoeba #9750207 by Johannes_S, translation #7367761 by Hybrid
- Tykkään juoda kurpitsasoppaa.I like to drink pumpkin soup.This sentence shows the use of kurpitsa when talking about soup.Tatoeba #9689603 by Johannes_S, translation #5573356 by n1ls
- Voisinko saada lisää kurpitsaa, kiitos?May I have some more pumpkin, please?
- Eilen ostin hokkaidokurpitsan ja teen siitä keiton tänään!Yesterday, I bought a hokkaido pumpkin and I'm making soup out of it today!
- Kurpitsalyhty on perinteinen koriste Halloweenina.A pumpkin lantern is a traditional Halloween decoration.
- Näytätkö minulle kuinka hokkaidokurpitsa valitaan?Can you show me how to choose a hokkaido pumpkin?
- Kasvatan kurpitsoja puutarhassani.I grow pumpkins in my garden.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Mikko are at a local farmers market.
- SofiaOnko tämä kurpitsa kallis?Is this pumpkin expensive?
- MikkoEi, se on aika halpa.No, it is quite cheap.
- SofiaOstan tämän kurpitsan.I will buy this pumpkin.
- MikkoHyvä valinta, Sofia.Good choice, Sofia.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pumpkin” translations and entries kurpitsa, pallokurpitsa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kurpitsa, pallokurpitsa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
