joki
/ˈjoki/
The Finnish word for "river" is joki.
joki refers to a large stream of water that drains a landmass.
Meaning: large stream which drains a landmass (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on its role in a sentence. Use joen to say "of the river" (genitive), jokea for indefinite amounts or specific grammatical constructions (partitive), joessa to say "in the river" (inessive) and joelle to say "to the river" (allative).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈjoki/
Did you know?
- The word joki is a distant relative of the archaic Hungarian word jó, showing a linguistic connection that spans thousands of miles across Eurasia.
- While joki means 'river', Finns use the word puro for a brook or stream, and the distinction is based more on the feeling of the water's speed and sound than just width.
- Many Finnish river names are ancient and contain no direct connection to the word 'joki', often being based on old sounds describing the terrain.
Examples in context
- Aika on kuin joki.Time is like a river.This sentence uses joki to illustrate a simile regarding time.Tatoeba #6889221 by Orava, translation #6884089 by Hybrid
- Tuo joki on vaarallinen.That river is dangerous.This sentence uses joki to describe the danger of a specific river.Tatoeba #3325141 by Silja, translation #3324408 by CK
- Kuinka leveä tämä joki on?How wide is this river?This sentence uses joki to ask about the width of a river.Tatoeba #9701630 by Johannes_S, translation #58144 by CK
- Missä on Tornion joki?Where is the Torne River?
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Matti are looking at a map of Finland.
- EmmaMikä joki tämä on?Which river is this?
- MattiTämä on suuri joki.This is a large river.
- EmmaVirtaako se pohjoiseen?Does it flow north?
- MattiKyllä, se virtaa pohjoiseen.Yes, it flows north.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “river” translations and entries joki, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries joki, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
