tyhmä
/ˈtyhmæ/
The English word 'stupid' is translated into Finnish as tyhmä.
The word is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is lacking in intelligence.
Meaning: lacking in intelligence (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes depending on how it is used in a sentence. Use the partitive form tyhmää when describing an action or a situation as being stupid, such as in the phrase 'That is stupid'. The genitive form tyhmän is used to indicate possession or to modify a noun in the genitive case, for example, 'the stupid man's'. When the subject consists of multiple people or things, use the plural nominative form tyhmät, such as 'the stupid people'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtyhmæ/
Did you know?
- In the Karelian language, a close relative of Finnish, the word tyhmä is used to mean 'ugly' or 'bad' rather than 'stupid'.
- Finnish speakers often use colorful idioms involving animals or elements of nature to describe stupidity instead of just using the word tyhmä.
- Finns often use tyhmä to describe an object or a situation as 'senseless', treating the lack of logic like a lack of intelligence.
Examples in context
- Hän ei ole tyhmä.He is not stupid.Tatoeba #3203597 by Silja, translation #302395 by CK
- Tom ei ole tyhmä.Tom isn't stupid.Tatoeba #3389395 by Silja, translation #1024679 by CK
- Se ei ole tyhmää.It's not stupid.Tatoeba #5731664 by awrynai, translation #2249132 by CK
- Älä ole tyhmä.Don't be stupid.
- 128 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Juho and Emma are discussing a movie plot.
- JuhoTämä elokuva on todella tyhmä.This movie is really stupid.
- EmmaMiksi sinä ajattelet niin?Why do you think so?
- JuhoTarinan loppu on aivan tyhmä.The end of the story is completely stupid.
- EmmaOlen eri mieltä, Juho.I disagree, Juho.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stupid” translations and entries tyhmä, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries see, tyhmä, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
