The Finnish language and shopping

The next day I decided to explore the surroundings of Varissuo and tried to get some food in the shop. While being here I recognized that there are 3 big grocery shops in Turku, the K-market and the S-Market which are about 3-5 minutes away from our apartment and the Lidl in or on the way to the city centre. Although I have heard that groceries are pretty much expensive I found out that some of them are even the same price as they are at home and most of them are just a tiny bit more expensive and like the same compaired to Switzerland where I am studying. The ones I found out to be much more expensive were fruits, vegetables and alcohol.

Varissuo, Turku

I faced the next challenge when searching for some washing powder in the shop because everything used to be written in Finnish and normally also in Swedish. For me it was extremely difficult to know what any of these Finnish words could mean because the Finnish language has no similarity with any of the languages I have known (German, English, Italian, French). While reading the Swedish description of the food I recognized that some of those words are easier to understand than in Finnish. Reading the description in Swedish is how I managed to buy food in the shop.

Some useful finish words are:

Kiitos               =    thank you

Hei or Moi        =    Hello

Kyllä                =    Yes

Ei                    =    No

En ymmärrä     =    I don't understand.

When I still hadn't understood anything I tried to speak in English. Most of the Finnish and especially the Young are able to communicate in English.

I experienced this when I needed to know the right direction to the bus office. I therefore asked an elderly woman who tried to explain it to me in English. She was giving her best searching for the right English words and in the end indeed said she will walk there with me and show me the place even though she was heading to a completely different direction. 

I really appreciated this willingness to help and thought of my grandmother in Austria who wouldn't be able to explain any directions in English as well. It was so kind of here to help me.