USA
/ˈuːˌæsˌɑː/
The Finnish abbreviation for the United States of America is USA.
USA is used as an abbreviation for the name of the country.
Meaning: abbreviation of the United States of America (name)
Which one should you use?
While USA is a common abbreviation, you can also use the informal term Amerikka to refer to the United States. In northern Finland, the term Pohjois-Amerikka (North America) may be used interchangeably with USA in informal contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
USA is considered informal in Finnish speech. For the full, formal name of the country, use Yhdysvallat.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Finland, Pohjois-Amerikka can be used informally instead of USA.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the abbreviation USA in a sentence, you must add suffixes to express different grammatical relations. To say 'of the USA', add the genitive suffix -n to form USA:n. To say 'in the USA', add the inessive suffix -ssa to form USA:ssa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈuːˌæsˌɑː/
Did you know?
- When using the abbreviation USA, you must use a colon before adding suffixes, such as USA:n for 'of the USA', to avoid confusion with the letter 'a'.
- In Finnish, the formal name Yhdysvallat is a plural noun, meaning the language treats the country as a collective group of states rather than a single entity.
- Even though it is a three-letter acronym, Finnish speakers pronounce USA as three distinct, separate syllables.
Examples in context
- Tom lintsasi töistä, että hän saattoi katsoa USA-Saksa jalkapallo-ottelun.Tom skipped work to watch the USA-Germany soccer match.This sentence shows how to use USA when describing a sports match.Tatoeba #3352530 by Silja, translation #3343288 by Hybrid
- Suurlähetystömme Yhdysvalloissa sijaitsee Washingtonissa.Our embassy in the United States is located in Washington.
- Olen kerrankin matkalla USA:han.I am finally traveling to the USA.
- USA on valtava maa.The USA is a huge country.
Example conversation
Anna and Juho are talking about their travel dreams.
- AnnaMinä haluan matkustaa USA:han ensi vuonna.I want to travel to the USA next year.
- JuhoKuulostaa hienolta! Mitä haluaisit nähdä siellä?That sounds great! What would you like to see there?
- AnnaHaluaisin käydä New Yorkissa ja Kaliforniassa.I would like to visit New York and California.
- JuhoUSA on todella suuri maa.The USA is a really big country.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “usa” translations and entries USA, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
