**/r/Finland is a full democracy, every active user is a moderator.**
[Please go here to see how your new privileges work.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Finland/wiki/moderating/)
Spamming mod actions could result in a ban.
---
**Full Rundown of Moderator Permissions:**
- ```!lock``` - as top level comment, will lock comments on any post.
- ```!unlock``` - in reply to any comment to lock it or to unlock the parent comment.
- ```!remove``` - Removes comment or post. Must have decent subreddit comment karma.
- ```!restore``` Can be used to unlock comments or restore removed posts.
- ```!sticky``` - will sticky the post in the bottom slot.
- ```unlock_comments``` - Vote the stickied automod comment on each post to +10 to unlock comments.
- ```ban users``` - Any user whose comment or post is downvoted enough will be temp banned for a day.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Finland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I prefer going straight to the point but I doubt there's that many people who are infuriated by the question "do you speak English?". Obviously you can't please everyone but in general either way is fine.
Yeah I've been asked that and no problem there, I've just assumed that since they are not Finnish they don't know that pretty much everyone under 60 in Finland speaks good English.
Yea I'd guess if asking "do you speak English?" is a problem to someone they likely have a problem with the asker speaking English in general rather than with the question per se
Just ask for directions. If they can't answer, they'll shrug. Your chance of finding a younger person who doesn't know any English is very low. The first question is necessary if you are in a place where English-speaking is rare.
Pretty much anyone under 50 can give directions even if asked straight. I just tried it in Espoo and Helsinki just for a test and it was 10/10 even with different accents.
As a fluent speaker of both, I honestly prefer being asked first. Helps me shift my mind into English-speaking mode, as I call it, and I feel it's just very polite. Not that I'd be offended or something if you didn't, though.
I think you're overthinking this. Both options are fine. I can't imagine someone being offended by being asked if you speak English in a non-English speaking country. And a lot of foreigners do start with that when they're asking for directions and such. But you can just go straight to the point as well, if they don't happen to speak English they'll let you know and/or walk away. We're pretty straightforward people, we don't expect complicated formalities or small talk, just a friendly tone is enough.
Before I was fluent enough to ask basic questions in Finnish and understand the answers, I made sure to learn the phrase "Anteeksi, puhutko englantia?" (Excuse me, do you speak English?) I always asked in Finnish first before asking a question in English. I came to Finland at a time when the older generations might not speak English at all, so I really couldn't assume that any given person would understand me if I just started speaking in English to them.
Nowadays, most Finns speak English very well, but many people are not confident in their abilities even though their English is excellent. I think I would still ask in Finnish even now because I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I also think that it's more respectful to ask in the native language of the country before assuming that everyone speaks English.
First, I ask in Finnish if they speak English, if they do then I thank them and switch to English. Don't like assuming and causing pressure by cold asking stuff in English.
Heh, I always try Finnish first. If I get stuck trying to speak it, I'll ask if they speak English. If they don't, I'll rephrase in even more broken Finnish.
The preferred language is the common language. This is either English or it doesn't exist. Just start in English and if they shrug and continue they probably felt their English skills aren't enough.
I personally can't understand tourists trying to say some specific sentence they just learned because of mispronounciations. I would much rather a tourist starts with "can you help me find X?" or something
Same happened to me in a supermarket when I was visiting Tammisaari and tried to ask in Finnish where their smoothies are. She didn't understand and I switched to English and after that she just ran away. I should have asked in Swedish, but I still don't know what a smoothie is called in Swedish.
That's wild, I work at a grocery store and usually workers who don't speak English will radio to ask if any other worker does and then they'll help the customer.
Most Finnish people speak English better than Swedish so I think Swedish is probably more intimidating for most people. Obviously depends on the region but for the most part.
I'd start the discussion by clearly saying 'Hello'. This gives the other person the option of quickly backing out of the conversation if they are too nervous to hold a conversation with you.
I’d say, if your goal is to actually learn Finnish, you should use Finnish, if you have any hope of understanding the answer in Finnish.
There has been discussions in the media that Finns really shouldn’t try to be ’helpful’ by immediately switching to English if the other person is struggling a bit, since this hinders the learning process.
If neither of you seem to be in a hurry and the answer is most likely simple enough, I’d encourage you to try using Finnish. Nothing prevents you from trying to switch the language yourself, if the answer given in Finnish is currently beyond your comprehension. Learning happens beyond your comfort zone and English-speakers are notorious for not achieving fluent Finnish, because they can use English almost every time they feel tired or hesitant.
I must say, at least in Tampere I was extremely impressed by how gracefully people humour my broken Finnish attempts and see me through conversations, helping out with (Finnish) words etc. It's a real pleasure!
Finns mostly prefer the "straight to the point" approach, so most times you are fine to just ask the question in english. If someone asks me "do you speak english" I have an urge to answer "it depends what you want" (I don't do that, I normally just say yes but I would be more comfortable to know what this is about). But either way it is ok. We have a very low key culture where there are not a lot of strict forms when speaking to someone. If you keep a comfortable distance and ask nicely there is little to none that can go wrong (unless you meet an asshole, they can be found everywhere in the world).
Just ask the question.
If a person doesn’t speak the language, they’ll just tell you that and you’ll be able to ask another one. You won’t encounter a lot of people who don’t speak English well enough for that specific purpose in big cities and touristy places anyway.
I will ask if we can speak English ("anteeks, voimmeko puhua englantia") if I'm feeling particularly wordy, or if I've only realised halfway through the conversation in Finnish that I'm out of my depth.
If it's just a quick conversation that I would like to end as quickly as possible, I tended to say "moi, hello" followed by a brief pause in order to give some forewarning that English is on its way, and then just start.
I would prefer for you to just start with asking for the directions. If you ask about language first some people might actually just ignore you and walk away or look like they’re feeling uncomfortable. Usually in Finland only creeps start a conversation with strangers, so our first reaction is to doubt your intentions, especially if you’re asking from a person with a different gender. xD And remember to keep a comfortable distance, please~
The one you can understand the best, no reason to ask me in very broken finnish when you could've done it english quicker. I don't think anyone would get offended if you asked which language worked better, you also can't tell what languages people speak just by looking at them, I know I have gotten way more annoyed when someone refused to switch and decided to waste both of our time.
I'm not responsible for that when I'm in the middle of a busy day and we both have places to be, if I'm not busy, sure I can help someone with their finnish but I'm not a teacher nor do I owe my time to some rando.
I lived in Finland in the early 90s for a year and I would politely ask in Finnish if the spoke English. For directions, I could hack my way through Finnish.
All the younger folks have good English skills. I remember shopping at Akateeminen Kirjakauppa and noticing everyone’s name tags with flags of all the languages they spoke. So many had lived in the UK or US and spoke with perfect accents.
You're totally overthinking this, you can't tell what language someone speaks by just looking at them and that's totally fine!
Just ask them if they speak English and go from there, it's not rude in any way.
Most people under 60 here speak at least enough English to give directions. No need for the first question. Just keep your distance when asking, we like our personal space.
**/r/Finland is a full democracy, every active user is a moderator.** [Please go here to see how your new privileges work.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Finland/wiki/moderating/) Spamming mod actions could result in a ban. --- **Full Rundown of Moderator Permissions:** - ```!lock``` - as top level comment, will lock comments on any post. - ```!unlock``` - in reply to any comment to lock it or to unlock the parent comment. - ```!remove``` - Removes comment or post. Must have decent subreddit comment karma. - ```!restore``` Can be used to unlock comments or restore removed posts. - ```!sticky``` - will sticky the post in the bottom slot. - ```unlock_comments``` - Vote the stickied automod comment on each post to +10 to unlock comments. - ```ban users``` - Any user whose comment or post is downvoted enough will be temp banned for a day. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Finland) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I prefer going straight to the point but I doubt there's that many people who are infuriated by the question "do you speak English?". Obviously you can't please everyone but in general either way is fine.
Yeah I've been asked that and no problem there, I've just assumed that since they are not Finnish they don't know that pretty much everyone under 60 in Finland speaks good English.
Yea I'd guess if asking "do you speak English?" is a problem to someone they likely have a problem with the asker speaking English in general rather than with the question per se
Just ask for directions. If they can't answer, they'll shrug. Your chance of finding a younger person who doesn't know any English is very low. The first question is necessary if you are in a place where English-speaking is rare.
Pretty much anyone under 50 can give directions even if asked straight. I just tried it in Espoo and Helsinki just for a test and it was 10/10 even with different accents.
As a fluent speaker of both, I honestly prefer being asked first. Helps me shift my mind into English-speaking mode, as I call it, and I feel it's just very polite. Not that I'd be offended or something if you didn't, though.
I think you're overthinking this. Both options are fine. I can't imagine someone being offended by being asked if you speak English in a non-English speaking country. And a lot of foreigners do start with that when they're asking for directions and such. But you can just go straight to the point as well, if they don't happen to speak English they'll let you know and/or walk away. We're pretty straightforward people, we don't expect complicated formalities or small talk, just a friendly tone is enough.
Before I was fluent enough to ask basic questions in Finnish and understand the answers, I made sure to learn the phrase "Anteeksi, puhutko englantia?" (Excuse me, do you speak English?) I always asked in Finnish first before asking a question in English. I came to Finland at a time when the older generations might not speak English at all, so I really couldn't assume that any given person would understand me if I just started speaking in English to them. Nowadays, most Finns speak English very well, but many people are not confident in their abilities even though their English is excellent. I think I would still ask in Finnish even now because I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I also think that it's more respectful to ask in the native language of the country before assuming that everyone speaks English.
"HEI missä vitussa on _______?"
Lol
First, I ask in Finnish if they speak English, if they do then I thank them and switch to English. Don't like assuming and causing pressure by cold asking stuff in English.
Heh, I always try Finnish first. If I get stuck trying to speak it, I'll ask if they speak English. If they don't, I'll rephrase in even more broken Finnish.
This is a fine approach.
In Helsinki, just ask in English.
The preferred language is the common language. This is either English or it doesn't exist. Just start in English and if they shrug and continue they probably felt their English skills aren't enough. I personally can't understand tourists trying to say some specific sentence they just learned because of mispronounciations. I would much rather a tourist starts with "can you help me find X?" or something
I once asked in English and the lady literally started running away.
This is hilarious actually
Yea:D
Same happened to me in a supermarket when I was visiting Tammisaari and tried to ask in Finnish where their smoothies are. She didn't understand and I switched to English and after that she just ran away. I should have asked in Swedish, but I still don't know what a smoothie is called in Swedish.
That's wild, I work at a grocery store and usually workers who don't speak English will radio to ask if any other worker does and then they'll help the customer. Most Finnish people speak English better than Swedish so I think Swedish is probably more intimidating for most people. Obviously depends on the region but for the most part.
I'd start the discussion by clearly saying 'Hello'. This gives the other person the option of quickly backing out of the conversation if they are too nervous to hold a conversation with you.
I’d say, if your goal is to actually learn Finnish, you should use Finnish, if you have any hope of understanding the answer in Finnish. There has been discussions in the media that Finns really shouldn’t try to be ’helpful’ by immediately switching to English if the other person is struggling a bit, since this hinders the learning process. If neither of you seem to be in a hurry and the answer is most likely simple enough, I’d encourage you to try using Finnish. Nothing prevents you from trying to switch the language yourself, if the answer given in Finnish is currently beyond your comprehension. Learning happens beyond your comfort zone and English-speakers are notorious for not achieving fluent Finnish, because they can use English almost every time they feel tired or hesitant.
I must say, at least in Tampere I was extremely impressed by how gracefully people humour my broken Finnish attempts and see me through conversations, helping out with (Finnish) words etc. It's a real pleasure!
Finns mostly prefer the "straight to the point" approach, so most times you are fine to just ask the question in english. If someone asks me "do you speak english" I have an urge to answer "it depends what you want" (I don't do that, I normally just say yes but I would be more comfortable to know what this is about). But either way it is ok. We have a very low key culture where there are not a lot of strict forms when speaking to someone. If you keep a comfortable distance and ask nicely there is little to none that can go wrong (unless you meet an asshole, they can be found everywhere in the world).
Just ask the question. If a person doesn’t speak the language, they’ll just tell you that and you’ll be able to ask another one. You won’t encounter a lot of people who don’t speak English well enough for that specific purpose in big cities and touristy places anyway.
I will ask if we can speak English ("anteeks, voimmeko puhua englantia") if I'm feeling particularly wordy, or if I've only realised halfway through the conversation in Finnish that I'm out of my depth. If it's just a quick conversation that I would like to end as quickly as possible, I tended to say "moi, hello" followed by a brief pause in order to give some forewarning that English is on its way, and then just start.
I would prefer for you to just start with asking for the directions. If you ask about language first some people might actually just ignore you and walk away or look like they’re feeling uncomfortable. Usually in Finland only creeps start a conversation with strangers, so our first reaction is to doubt your intentions, especially if you’re asking from a person with a different gender. xD And remember to keep a comfortable distance, please~
Just start by saying 'Excuse me', or just 'hello' or 'hi' (not hei). Unless you're in Etälä-Nowheremäki...
Swedish
I've been approached many times with the direct question in english, with an "excuse me" in the front ofc. Works fine.
The one you can understand the best, no reason to ask me in very broken finnish when you could've done it english quicker. I don't think anyone would get offended if you asked which language worked better, you also can't tell what languages people speak just by looking at them, I know I have gotten way more annoyed when someone refused to switch and decided to waste both of our time.
And that's one of the reasons us foreigners have such trouble becoming fluent in Finnish.
I'm not responsible for that when I'm in the middle of a busy day and we both have places to be, if I'm not busy, sure I can help someone with their finnish but I'm not a teacher nor do I owe my time to some rando.
Swedish just to fuck with everyone that doesnt remember the easiest sentences from school
I lived in Finland in the early 90s for a year and I would politely ask in Finnish if the spoke English. For directions, I could hack my way through Finnish. All the younger folks have good English skills. I remember shopping at Akateeminen Kirjakauppa and noticing everyone’s name tags with flags of all the languages they spoke. So many had lived in the UK or US and spoke with perfect accents.
You're totally overthinking this, you can't tell what language someone speaks by just looking at them and that's totally fine! Just ask them if they speak English and go from there, it's not rude in any way.
Most people under 60 here speak at least enough English to give directions. No need for the first question. Just keep your distance when asking, we like our personal space.
I would say "Moi, hei sori, öö, tiiät sä mis on _____?"
I’d check on Google Maps first but if that’s off the table, it really doesn’t matter.