How to Say "Uncle" in Finnish

setä

/ˈsetæ/

The English word uncle can be translated into Finnish as setä or eno.

Meaning: brother (or brother-in-law) of someone’s parent (noun)

Ways to say it

“uncle” in Finnish
Finnish	IPA
setä	/ˈsetæ/
eno	/ˈeno/

In Finnish, the specific word used for uncle depends on whether he is related to your mother or your father.

The word eno is used specifically for a mother's brother.

In some regions, particularly in western Finland, the colloquial term Ukki may be used for uncle.

To say 'my uncle', you add the possessive suffix -ni to the word setä.

/ˈsetæ/

The word setä descends from the ancient Proto-Uralic root *čečä, linking it to languages as distant as Eastern Mari and Northern Mansi.
In traditional Finnish culture, the roles and expectations for a setä versus an eno could historically differ based on the side of the family they represented.
Because Finnish kinship terms are so specific, using the wrong word like eno for a father's brother would not just be a mistake, but would imply a different person entirely.

Tom on Marin eno.
Tom is Mary's uncle.
This sentence shows how to use eno to identify a person.
Tatoeba #3741597 by Silja, translation #1028532 by CK
Hän on minun enoni.
He is my uncle.
This sentence demonstrates how to use eno with the possessive suffix to say 'my uncle'.
Tatoeba #6634942 by Orava, translation #297898 by CK
Tämä on setäni talo.
This house belongs to my uncle.
This sentence shows how to use setä with the possessive suffix to say 'my uncle'.
Tatoeba #1758882 by ondo, translation #60139 by CK
Näin juuri enoani eilen.
I just saw my uncle yesterday.
59 more sentences on Tatoeba

Antti and Laura are looking at an old family photo.

Sources

Wiktionary, “uncle” translations and entries setä, eno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries eno, setä, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏