lumi
/ˈlumi/
The English word snow is translated into Finnish as lumi.
lumi is a noun used to describe the crystalline state of frozen water that falls from the sky or the white layer that accumulates on the ground. Related verbs like sataa and leijailla describe the act of snow falling, while pyryttää, sataa lunta and tuiskuttaa are used to express the process of snow falling from the atmosphere.
Meaning: partly frozen, crystalline state of water that falls from the atmosphere as precipitation in flakes, falling of such flakes, accumulation of them as a white layer (noun)
Which one should you use?
While lumi is the general noun for snow, the compound noun lumisade is used specifically to refer to the event of snowfall. If you are describing a thick, deep layer of snow on the ground, you should use the term lumihanki.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to express the existence of snow or an indefinite amount of it, such as in the phrase sataa lunta (it is snowing), you must use the partitive case form lunta instead of the base form lumi.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈlumi/
Did you know?
- The word lumi is a cognate with words for 'snow' in other Uralic languages, such as the Samoyedic languages spoken in Northern Siberia.
- Finnish has a specialized word, tykky, to describe the heavy, thick layer of snow or ice that encases tree branches in winter forests.
- Finnish has dozens of specific words for different types of snow, such as puuteri for powder snow and sohjo for slushy, melting snow.
Examples in context
- Uusi lumikuuro on tulossa.Another band of snow is approaching.This sentence shows how to use the form lumi to describe an approaching snow shower.Tatoeba #13609933 by lenius, translation #9493057 by sundown
- Hänellä on lumivalkoinen iho.She has snow-white skin.This sentence uses lumi within a compound to describe a color.Tatoeba #3208473 by Silja, translation #3074347 by ulymarrero
- Lumi satoi suurina hiutaleina.Snow fell in large flakes.This sentence demonstrates the use of lumi to describe how snow falls.Tatoeba #10290973 by Johannes_S, translation #275523 by CK
- Onpa kaunis päivä tänään! Kyllä, kaikki on niin kauniin valkoista lumesta! Totta, lumi tekee maisemasta satumaisen.Person A: "What a beautiful day today!" Person B: "Yes, everything is so beautifully white with snow!" Person A: "Indeed, the snow makes the landscape feel like a fairytale."
- Katso, lumihiutaleet leijuvat taivaalta peittäen maan valkoiseen uneen.Look, snowflakes are drifting from the sky, covering the ground in white slumber.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matti and Sofia are looking out the window at a winter morning.
- MattiKatso, kuinka paljon lunta on tullut!Look how much snow has fallen!
- SofiaSe on todella kaunista.It is really beautiful.
- MattiLumi tekee kaupungista hiljaisen.The snow makes the city quiet.
- SofiaMatti, meidän täytyy ostaa uudet luistimet.Matti, we need to buy new skates.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snow” translations and entries lumi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lumi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
