10 wise Finnish sayings about life we all need to hear
Finnish sayings about life have a way of cutting straight to the point, no fuss, no flourish, just a quiet truth you did not know you needed. This kind of practical, unglamorous wisdom is at the heart of Finnish sisu, the resilience that shapes how Finns approach almost everything.
1. Hätä keinot keksii - Necessity invents the measures
Things tend to work out in the end. Problems get solved, usually at the last minute, by people who had no choice but to solve them.
The most useful two syllables in the Finnish language. Not technically a proverb, but doing the same job as all ten combined.
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Get the shirt2. Joka vanhoja muistelee, sitä tikulla silmään - Who remembers old things should be poked in the eye with a stick
Do not dwell on the past. Nobody wants to be poked in the eye, it hurts and so does holding pointless grudges. Unless they actually poked you in the eye. In that case, exercise your own judgement.
3. Tyvistä puuhun noustaan - A tree is climbed from the base
You build from the bottom up. There are no shortcuts worth taking. Wise words in a country with so many trees that each Finn could theoretically have 4,500 to themselves.
4. Ei ole koiraa karvoihin katsominen - Do not choose a dog by its hair
Do not size people up before you know them. The appearance tells you very little. This is consistent with a culture that tends to distrust flashiness and values substance over presentation.
5. Kell' onni on se onnen kätkelköön - Who has happiness should hide it
This is about staying humble rather than suppressing joy. Do not brag about your new car to someone catching the bus. It is annoying and it achieves nothing. Quiet restraint in the face of good fortune is one of the more consistent Finnish personality traits.
Sisu is the spirit underneath every Finnish saying. The refusal to quit, the capacity to endure, the quiet decision to keep going when stopping would be easier.
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Get the shirt6. Ei se pelaa, joka pelkää - The one who fears will not play
Do not let fear hold you back from opportunities. Sometimes you have to take a risk and see what happens. Some fears are correct. This is not one of those.
7. Rahalla saa ja hevosella pääsee - You can get things with money and go places with a horse
Nothing comes for free. You have to be willing to spend, money, time, effort, on the things you want. A practical observation from a culture that has rarely had the luxury of expecting things to simply arrive.
8. Oppia ikä kaikki - All the years are full of learning
The Finnish version of "you live and you learn." The process does not end at school or at any particular age. Every year offers something new if you are paying attention.
9. Vahinko ei tule kello kaulassa - Accidents do not come with a bell around their neck
When things go wrong, they usually do so without warning. It pays to be prepared rather than surprised.
Finnish wisdom rarely requires many words. Often it requires none. This is the shirt for anyone who has already said what needs to be said.
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Get the shirt10. Jokainen on oman onnensa seppä - Everyone is the smith of their own happiness
Happiness and success tend to come from the choices we make and the effort we put in. Finns, on the whole, would rather get on with it than wait for someone else to sort things out.
And then there is Finland's all-purpose expression: no niin. Technically not a saying, but arguably the most Finnish phrase of all, two syllables that cover everything from "let us get started" to "I told you so" to "well, that is that." There is a full guide to what no niin really means.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous Finnish proverb?
Several are well-known beyond Finland, but Jokainen on oman onnensa seppä, "everyone is the smith of their own happiness," is among the most widely recognised. It captures the Finnish emphasis on personal responsibility and self-reliance.
What do Finnish sayings reveal about Finnish culture?
Finnish proverbs tend to be practical, direct and unsentimental. They emphasise resilience, humility, hard work and the acceptance of things that cannot be changed. They reflect a culture shaped by difficult conditions and a preference for actions over words.
What is sisu?
Sisu is a Finnish concept describing quiet, stubborn resilience, the capacity to persist through difficulty without complaint or drama. It runs through many Finnish proverbs as an underlying assumption: that hardship is normal and that the sensible response is to get on with things.
What does no niin mean?
No niin is a Finnish expression with over twenty meanings depending on tone and context. It can signal agreement, resignation, readiness to begin, mild exasperation or a kind of philosophical acceptance that things are as they are. Full explanation at veryfinnishproblems.com/pages/no-niin-meaning.
101 Very Finnish Problems began as a list of observations about Finnish life. It became a book because the observations kept coming.
One hundred and one observations about Finnish life by a Brit who has lived in Finland since 2002 and still finds the sayings accurate. Gathered and signed by the author.
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19 comments
Being Finnish and living in a country with an other language, I often miss some of the absolutely wonderful Finnish sayings, like:
- toinen jalka puussa
- sama pää kesät talvet
- oma lehmä ojassa
“I’m not the son of yesterday’s grouse”. En ole eilisen teeren poika.
Vanha Suola Janotaa
Who digs a hole to others , fall by him self in it …
What about,’ Kuka se kissan häntä nostaa jos ei kissa ite?’