When you first learn Finnish, pitää seems easy.

Minä pidän kahvista — I like coffee. Simple.

But then suddenly it means to have to, to hold, to keep, and even to give a speech.

Welcome to the wonderful chaos of one small Finnish word with many lives.

In this episode, me — a Finnish teacher living in Helsinki — walk you through the most common and useful meanings of pitää:

• pitää + sta/stä — to like

• pitää + verb — to have to, must
• pitää ovi auki / pitää huolta itsestäsi — to hold, keep, or take care
• pitää puhe, pitää kokous — to hold an event or a speech

…and all those beautiful idioms: pitää hauskaa, pitää yhteyttä, pitää paikkansa.

You’ll hear examples, gentle humor, and the deeper cultural logic hidden inside this everyday Finnish verb.

💚 This episode is supported by Havu Wellness — home of the Barrière vitamin patches.

They’re an easy, clean way to pitää huolta itsestään — to take care of yourself every day, without pills or extra routines.

Find them at havuwellness.com

🌸 Follow me on Instagram @edukosonline for Finnish Fridays — small, practical lessons and language tips every week.

Calm, clear, and full of meaning — that’s Finnish.

And that’s Nasta suomi.

Have you ever avoided saying Hyvää yötä because it felt like your tongue just refused to cooperate?

In this episode, Anastasia — your calm and slightly funny Finnish teacher from Helsinki — helps you finally understand how Finnish sounds really work.

You’ll learn:

• why Finnish is easier than it looks: one letter = one sound
• how to master double letters (laki vs lakki)
• why Finnish rhythm is always calm and steady
• what happens when English pronunciation sneaks into your Finnish
• and how Finns “Finnish-ify” foreign words like Facebookki and meilata.

By the end, you’ll sound more confident — and maybe even manage to say Hyvää yötä without a struggle.

💚 This episode is supported by Havu Wellness — home of the Barrière vitamin patches.

They’re an easy, clean way to get your daily vitamins — no pills, no rush, just gentle support that stays with you while you go live your Finnish life.

Buy yours at havuwellness.com

🎧 Listen, learn, and fall in love with the sound of Finnish — calm, clear, and beautifully logical.

Yours,

Anastasia

contact@edukos.online

Telegram group: https://t.me/nastasuomi

Have you ever said minua väsyttää and thought: “Wait… who is this mysterious someone who makes me tired?”

In this episode of Nasta Suomi, Anastasia — your calm and slightly funny Finnish teacher from Helsinki — explains emotion verbs, those magical Finnish verbs that describe how feelings happen to you.

You’ll learn:

• why we say minua väsyttää instead of olen väsynyt
• two families of feeling verbs: emotions (harmittaa, ilahduttaa, pelottaa) and sensations (väsyttää, paleltaa, janottaa)
• how old Finnish beliefs about nature and spirits still live in the language today

Join our Telegram group: https://t.me/nastasuomi

Email me: contact@edukos.online

Sponsored by Barrière vitamin patches — find them at havuwellness.com

Why is joulu written with a small letter, but Christmas with a big one?

And when should you write Kauppatori with a capital K— and when just kauppatori?

In this episode of Nasta Suomi, we explore the Finnish way of using capital letters — or, more often, not using them.

You’ll learn:

– when to write a big letter and when to keep it small,

– what’s the difference between erisnimet (proper nouns) and yleissanat (common nouns),

– and how meaning — not importance — decides which one to choose.

We’ll also look at fun borderline cases like Ruotsin-laiva vs ruotsinlaiva, suomirock vs Suomi Rock, and test you with a short mini-quiz on weekdays, professions, and holidays.

Simple, logical, and full of those “aha!” moments every Finnish learner needs.

💚 This episode is sponsored by havuwellness.com

Autumn is here — less sun, less vitamins.

Keep your energy and mood up with Barrière vitamin patches — an easy and effective way to get your daily nutrients through your skin.

No pills, no swallowing, just clean absorption and Finnish simplicity.

Explore more at https://www.havuwellness.com/category/barriere-vitamin-patches

Contact me: contact@edukos.online

Instagram: @edukosonline

❤️lla

Anastasia

Why does tuli mean fire, tuuli mean wind, and tulli mean customs? In Finnish, a single extra letter can completely change the meaning.

In this episode of Nasta Suomi, we dive into the biggest pronunciation traps that confuse learners:

Finnish has fifteen cases — and for many learners, that number alone sounds terrifying. But are they really so hard?

In this episode of Nasta Suomi, we break down the Finnish case system in simple, logical steps. From everyday endings like -ssa (talossa = “in the house”) to the rare birds like abessiivi and komitatiivi, you’ll see how cases actually make Finnish more efficient, not harder. By the end, you’ll understand why cases are the secret ingredient that gives Finnish its unique power — and you’ll have a fun challenge to try at home.

I’ve created a Telegram channel called Nasta Suomi, where you can find all podcast materials in written form, ask questions, and connect with other Finnish learners:

https://t.me/nastasuomi

Got a question about Finnish?

Write me an email! The most interesting questions might become full episodes of this podcast: contact@edukos.online

__

To celebrate the launch of this podcast, I’m giving away a little thank-you gift to 10 listeners.

All you need to do is:

1. Subscribe to the podcast

2. Leave a rating

That’s it!

Before Christmas 2025, I’ll randomly select 10 people to receive my practical guide:

“A Simple Communication Guide for Small Business Owners” — written in plain English for entrepreneurs in Finland.

No jargon. Just useful stuff.

If you’re running a business — or thinking about starting one — this might help more than you expect!

Why does Finnish have so many funny, unique words that don’t exist in English? In this episode of Nasta Suomi, we explore over ten Finnish words that capture culture, nature, and everyday life in ways no direct translation can. From sisu and saunalöyly to mökkihöperö, happihyppy, and tarjeta, you’ll hear the stories behind these quirky expressions and learn why they matter. Perfect for Finnish learners who want more than grammar — this episode shows you how language reflects the Finnish way of living.

I’ve created a Telegram channel called Nasta Suomi, where you can find all podcast materials in written form, ask questions, and connect with other Finnish learners:

https://t.me/nastasuomi

Got a question about Finnish?

Write me an email! The most interesting questions might become full episodes of this podcast: contact@edukos.online

__

To celebrate the launch of this podcast, I’m giving away a little thank-you gift to 10 listeners.

All you need to do is:

1. Subscribe to the podcast

2. Leave a rating

That’s it!

Before Christmas 2025, I’ll randomly select 10 people to receive my practical guide:

“A Simple Communication Guide for Small Business Owners” — written in plain English for entrepreneurs in Finland.

No jargon. Just useful stuff.

If you’re running a business — or thinking about starting one — this might help more than you expect!

I’ll announce the winners on my Telegram channel.

Are you thinking about taking the YKI-testi in Finnish — the official national language exam?

In this episode of Nasta Suomi, I break down everything you need to know about the intermediate level (keskitaso, B1–B2): what the test consists of, what actually happens on exam day, and what counts as a passing grade. You’ll hear practical tips for each subtest — speaking, listening, reading, and writing — and honest experiences from people who have already taken the exam.

Whether you need YKI for citizenship, work, or just to measure your Finnish progress, this guide will help you prepare and feel more confident.

I’ve created a Telegram channel called Nasta Suomi, where you can find all podcast materials in written form, ask questions, and connect with other Finnish learners:

https://t.me/nastasuomi

Got a question about Finnish?

Write me an email! The most interesting questions might become full episodes of this podcast: contact@edukos.online

__

To celebrate the launch of this podcast, I’m giving away a little thank-you gift to 10 listeners.

All you need to do is:

1. Subscribe to the podcast

2. Leave a rating

That’s it!

Before Christmas 2025, I’ll randomly select 10 people to receive my practical guide:

“A Simple Communication Guide for Small Business Owners” — written in plain English for entrepreneurs in Finland.

No jargon. Just useful stuff.

If you’re running a business — or thinking about starting one — this might help more than you expect!

I’ll announce the winners on my Telegram channel.