Google Maps works beautifully right up until your battery dies in Tampere and the only person nearby is a man walking a dog. That's the moment you need real words. This lesson covers asking for directions in Finnish — and, just as importantly, understanding the answer, because a Finn who wants to help you will say käänny oikealle risteyksestä at full speed and assume you followed it. Below you'll find 40 phrases for both sides of that conversation: the questions you ask, the instructions you'll hear back, and the landmark and distance words that hold it all together.
Two pieces of good news before you start. First, Finnish is written exactly as it's spoken — one letter, one sound, stress always on the first syllable, and a double letter simply means you hold it longer. Say the phrases below out loud as they look and you'll be understood. Second, Finnish skips prepositions like to and on and glues endings onto the word instead: vasemmalle is "to the left," vasemmalla is "on the left." You don't need the grammar behind that yet. Learn the two forms as separate phrases, and you're ready to stop someone on the street.
How to Ask for Directions
Excuse me, where is…?
Anteeksi, missä on…?
How do I get to the centre?
Miten pääsen keskustaan?
I'm looking for the train station.
Etsin rautatieasemaa.
I'm lost.
Olen eksynyt.
Is it far?
Onko se kaukana?
Is it nearby?
Onko se lähellä?
Can you show me on the map?
Voitko näyttää sen kartalta?
Which way is the centre?
Mihin suuntaan keskusta on?
Am I going the right way?
Menenkö oikeaan suuntaan?
Can you help me?
Voitko auttaa?
Practice these words
Anteeksi, missä on…?
Quick notes:
- Anteeksi is the whole politeness kit in one word — it covers "excuse me," "sorry" and "pardon?" Open every question with it.
- Finnish has no everyday word for "please." Politeness lives in the verb: voitko is "can you," voisitko is "could you," and the second is noticeably softer.
- Close the exchange with kiitos avusta — "thanks for the help."
- If you hear en tiedä ("I don't know") or en ole täältä ("I'm not from here"), say ei mitään ("no problem") and ask the next person.
How to Give and Understand Directions
Go straight ahead.
Mene suoraan eteenpäin.
Turn left.
Käänny vasemmalle.
Turn right.
Käänny oikealle.
Take the first street on the right.
Käänny ensimmäisestä kadusta oikealle.
Keep going.
Jatka eteenpäin.
Cross the street.
Ylitä katu.
Follow this street.
Seuraa tätä katua.
Go back.
Mene takaisin.
It's on the left.
Se on vasemmalla.
It's on the right.
Se on oikealla.
At the traffic lights.
Liikennevaloissa.
At the intersection.
Risteyksessä.
Practice these words
Mene suoraan eteenpäin.
Quick notes:
- Position words come after the noun, not before: literally "church next-to," "hotel opposite." Learn each pair as one chunk and you'll never have to think about the order.
- The noun itself shifts shape in front of them — kirkko becomes kirkon, kauppa becomes kaupan. That's normal Finnish, not an exception.
- Tori is a market square, aukio a paved open space. If you can't decide, say tori.
- Street names swallow the word for street: Mannerheimintie, Aleksanterinkatu. The -katu and -tie endings are baked in.
Landmarks and Position Words
next to the church
kirkon vieressä
opposite the hotel
hotellia vastapäätä
behind the shop
kaupan takana
in front of the museum
museon edessä
between the bank and the café
pankin ja kahvilan välissä
on the corner
kulmassa
street
katu
square
tori
bus stop
bussipysäkki
train station
rautatieasema
Practice these words
kirkon vieressä
Distance and Time
How far is it?
Kuinka kaukana se on?
How long does it take?
Kuinka kauan siihen menee?
five minutes on foot
viisi minuuttia kävellen
about one kilometre
noin kilometri
very close
aivan lähellä
quite far
aika kaukana
You can walk there.
Sinne voi kävellä.
Take the tram.
Mene ratikalla.
Practice these words
Kuinka kaukana se on?
What Makes Directions Different in Finnish
The first thing to accept is that Finnish has no prepositions. Where English needs three words — to the left — Finnish uses one, and the meaning sits in the ending. -lle signals movement toward something (vasemmalle, to the left; asemalle, to the station). -lla or -ssa signals being somewhere (vasemmalla, on the left; asemalla, at the station). Finnish has fifteen of these case endings in total, which sounds terrifying and isn't relevant yet. For directions you need exactly two, and the fastest way in is to memorise them as fixed pairs rather than as grammar.
The second is the tone of the exchange. Finns are precise and economical with words, and this reads as brusque to visitors from chattier cultures. You'll get a direction, a distance and possibly nothing else — no small talk, no "you're welcome" ritual. That's not coldness; it's efficiency, and it comes with a real willingness to help. It's common for someone to simply walk you to the corner rather than explain. Finnish also has a formal "you," te, alongside the everyday sinä — and you can safely ignore it. Outside official letters and speeches to the elderly, everyone uses sinä forms with everyone, which is why voitko auttaa? works with a student and a police officer alike.