# Any dopers out there who speak Finnish or know someone who does? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998 "2001-11-17T22:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/21 "2001-11-20T05:48:15Z")
Wouldn’t the phrase “the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog” lose a lot in translation? Is there an equivelent Finnish saying? ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/22 "2001-11-20T07:03:54Z")
unfortunately the phrase is key to the film, which is about typing competitions as well as foxes and dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Kantalooppi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a5b964/32.png) [@Kantalooppi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantalooppi)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/23 "2001-11-20T09:56:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Check out this word for “cowboy” since Kanta seems to have dodged the word. Actually, while there’s word ‘lehmipoika’, even a native Finn is much more likely to use the word ‘cowboy’. **peepthis** ’s translations are mostly correct, though they lack the ümläüts and they are more of spoken language than written language. In the cowboy one, “on minun korvassa” is grammatically uncorrect, although it’s occasionally said that way in spoken language, esp. by foreigners. ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/24 "2001-11-20T13:42:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kantalooppi \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > Check out this word for “cowboy” since Kanta seems to have dodged the word.\*\* > > Actually, while there’s word ‘lehmipoika’, even a native Finn is much more likely to use the word ‘cowboy’. Lest anyone forget about [the Leningrad Cowboys](http://www.leningradcowboys.fi/), the ultimate in bizarre Finnish rock! > [@](#): > > **peepthis** ’s translations are mostly correct, though they lack the ümläüts and they are more of spoken language than written language. In the cowboy one, “on minun korvassa” is grammatically uncorrect, although it’s occasionally said that way in spoken language, esp. by foreigners. \*\* I asked my parents for the informal translations, figuring that’s what the OP would want for a movie title. My dad, who lived in Haapajarvi for his first 35 years, will be most distressed to hear he’s talkin’ like a foreigner these days;). ---
**Author:** ![auRa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c4cdca/32.png) [@auRa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auRa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/25 "2001-11-26T12:47:13Z")
well, i just thought since i’m a finn too, i’d just come on to counter the forces of … yeah, all the other finns here… ahem. “Mama Had a Baby and Her Head Popped Off.” (whose head? mama’s or baby’s?) “äiti sai vauvan ja hänen päänsä irtosi”, informally you could use “mutsi sai vauvan ja sen pää irtos”. 🙂 although that’s really slang. i don’t know which one you prefer. “The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog” re: the question about a finnish equivalent sentence, i can’t think of any right now, but if i get one i’ll let you know… “nopea ruskea kettu hyppää laiskan koiran yli.” “The Little Cowboy in My Ear” “pieni lehmipoika korvassani”, or, as people pointed out, “pieni cowboy korvassani”, since… yeah, for whatever reason they pointed it out too. also, “pieni karjapaimen korvassani”… has a nice ring to it. i think i’ll just go away now. ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/26 "2001-11-27T05:54:12Z")
Thanks everyone who helped out with this question - just submitted the films tonight - wish me luck! I finally decided to use **Kantalooppi** ’s translation for “Quick Brown Fox” and “Little Cowboy,” but went with the informal version of “Mama had a baby” that **auRa** suggested. I like slang… hope it’ll be appropriate. I hope I’ll be back in a couple of months to ask about Finnish travel tips! (Knock on wood) ---
**Author:** ![mazirian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@mazirian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazirian)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/27 "2001-11-27T09:04:09Z")
**hey pezwookiee!** Are you talking about the Tampere 32nd International Short Film Festival? [http://www.tamperefilmfestival.fi/2002/eng/index.htm](http://www.tamperefilmfestival.fi/2002/eng/index.htm) If your films get picked up, email me and I’ll tell you everything there is to know about this place. 😃 Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2001, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998/28 "2001-11-27T18:21:42Z")
That’s it, **mazirian**! Looks like a pretty good festival. I’ll let you know what happens… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-dopers-out-there-who-speak-finnish-or-know-someone-who-does/93998.md?page=1)