Finnish false friends
Introduction
Finnish words that are written the same as an English word but mean something different.
The false friends
Most of the translations are from Wiktionary.
| Finnish | English |
|---|---|
| alas | down |
| ale | sale |
| ape | feed (noun) |
| aura | plough; aura |
| emit | pistils (botany) |
| emo | mother (of animals) |
| haiku | puff/whiff of smoke; haiku |
| halo | chop, split (imperative); halo |
| halon | I chop/split; halo (genitive) |
| he | they |
| helmet | pearls |
| heroin | whey (instructive) |
| hoe | speak/repeat over and over again (imperative) |
| home | mildew, mold |
| into | enthusiasm |
| join | I drank |
| kaput | captains; kaput |
| karat | cores, spindles |
| ken | who (archaic) |
| keto | dry meadow, pasture |
| kilo | shine, gleam; kilo(gram) |
| kiloton | shineless, gleamless |
| kudos | fabric; (biological) tissue |
| lain | law (genitive); summit (instructive) |
| lama | depression (economics) |
| lava | bed (of e.g. a truck) |
| levy | plate, board |
| loan | dirt (genitive) |
| loin | I created |
| ma | I (poetic, archaic) |
| made | burbot (fish) |
| maiden | land (genitive plural) |
| main | land (instructive) |
| manner | continent (landmass) |
| marina | continuing grumble, whining |
| me | we |
| melon | I paddle |
| moisten | such (adjective, genitive plural) |
| mono | ski boot; mono(phonic) |
| moron | hello, hi |
| no | well (interjection) |
| oat | thorns, prickles |
| omit | you hog/appropriate |
| on | ((s)he/it) is |
| open | teacher (genitive) |
| oven | door (genitive) |
| pane | put, set, fuck (imperative) |
| parka | poor thing |
| pellet | clowns |
| peloton | fearless, daring (credit: David on social media) |
| pimento | dark, darkness |
| pipit | minor injuries (childish) |
| piston | sting (genitive) |
| pivot | hands, palms |
| poke | bouncer (colloquial); porn (colloquial) |
| pollen | horse (genitive) |
| polo | poor thing |
| pore | bubble |
| pose | jail |
| pure | bite (imperative) |
| puree | (s)he/it bites |
| raja | border, limit |
| rastas | thrush |
| rein | sleigh (instructive) |
| salon | of a pole; of a deep forest |
| saloon | to a deep forest |
| salvo | notch! (join by means of notches) |
| sateen | rain (genitive) |
| saves | clay |
| sees | serene (rare) |
| side | bandage |
| suit | you brush |
| sun | your, yours |
| sure | grieve (imperative) |
| talon | house (genitive) |
| tanner | open flat area of land, field, yard |
| tee | do, make (imperative); tea; tee (letter) |
| teen | I do/make |
| tie | way, road |
| vain | only |
| vale | lie (noun) |
| valve | awakeness, being awake |
| vein | I took (away) |
| veto | pull (noun); veto |
| villa | wool; villa |
| villain | wool (genitive plural, rare); villa (genitive plural, rare) |
| villein | wild (instructive; superlative) |
| visa | quiz |