valkoinen
/ˈʋɑlkoi̯nen/
The English phrase "white" is translated into Finnish as valkoinen. Wiktionary also lists valkea.
Meaning: color (noun)
Ways to say it
| Finnish | IPA |
|---|---|
| valkoinen | /ˈʋɑlkoi̯nen/ |
| valkea | /ˈʋɑlkeɑ/ |
valkoinen is the standard word used to denote the color white. It is also used in the context of board games to describe pieces that belong to the white set. Both valkoinen and valkea can be used to describe something that is bright and colorless.
Which one should you use?
While valkoinen is the standard term for the color, valkea is a more poetic or literary variant used specifically to describe something as being bright and colorless.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word valkoinen declines according to Finnish cases. For example, valkoisen is the genitive singular form meaning "of the white" and valkoista is the partitive form used when describing an uncountable amount.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʋɑlkoi̯nen/
Did you know?
- The word valkoinen shares a deep linguistic root with the Hungarian word világ, which means 'world' or 'light'.
- In certain traditional Finnish contexts, valkea can refer to the 'white' of the dawn, linking the color to the start of the day.
- The Finnish word valkoinen can appear in compound words to describe things that are pale or bleached, such as 'white-faced' to describe fear.
Examples in context
- Se talo on valkoinen.The house is white.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a house using valkoinen.Tatoeba #7837719 by Thanuir, translation #7327813 by MarijnKp
- Se koira on valkoinen.The dog is white.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a dog using valkoinen.Tatoeba #355131 by Hautis, translation #526365 by wma
- Se on täysin valkoinen.It's all white.This sentence is useful for stating that something is entirely white using valkoinen.Tatoeba #3232644 by Silja, translation #593234 by CK
- Minun autoni on valkoinen.My car is white.
- Hänellä on valkoinen paita ja mustat housut.He is wearing a white shirt and black pants.
- Katso kuinka vaalea tuo talo on.Look how light-colored that house is.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Juho are looking at a new piece of furniture in a store.
- EmmaOnko tämä tuoli valkoinen?Is this chair white?
- JuhoEi, se on harmaa.No, it is gray.
- EmmaEtsin juuri valkoista tuolia.I am looking for exactly a white chair.
- JuhoTäällä on valkoinen malli.There is a white model here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “white” translations and entries valkoinen, valkea, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries valkea, valkoinen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
