Finnish for busy people

Fish and Sea Creatures – Finnish Vocabulary

Here are some fish and sea creatures for you to learn the names of in Finnish! In addition, at the bottom of this article, you will find some fish related Finnish sayings. I also have an article all about fishing.

Finnish English
Kalat Fish
makean veden kala freshwater fish
suolaisen veden kala salt water fish
ahven perch
ankerias eel
delfiini dolphin
harjus greyling
harmaanieriä lake trout
hauki pike
kampela flounder
kapakala dried cod
karppi carp
kiiski ruffe
kirjolohi rainbow trout
kolja haddock
kuha pikeperch
kuore smelt
lahna bream
lohi salmon
makrilli mackerel
meriahven sea bass
meriantura sole
merilohi Atlantic salmon
meritaimen sea trout
miekkakala swordfish
miekkavalas killer whale
miljoonakala guppy
muikku vendace
Finnish English
Lisää kaloja More fish
mullo mullet
nahkiainen lamprey
nieriä char
pallas halibut
pallokala pufferfish
piikkikampela turbot
piraija piranha
puna-ahven red snapper
punakampela plaice
puronieriä brook trout
rausku manta ray
ruutana sturgeon
ryhävalas humpback whale
sardelli anchovy
seepia cuttlefish
seiti haddock
siika lake whitefish
silakka Baltic herring
silli herring
sinivalas blue whale
suutari tench
särki roach
säyne ide, chub
taimen trout
tiikerihai tiger shark
tonnikala tuna
turska cod
Finnish English
Merenelävät Sea animals
simpukka clam, mussel
rapu (hard-shell) crab
äyriäinen crayfish
hummeri lobster
osteri oyster
katkarapu prawn, shrimp
langustirapu spiny lobster
merihevonen seahorse
meritähti seastar
kalmari squid
meduusa jellyfish
mustekala octopus
merimakkara sea cucumber
Finnish English
Muita sanoja Other words
meressä in a/the sea
järvessä in a/the lake
aalto, aallot wave, waves
vedenpinta surface of the water
meren pohja seabed
evä fin
suomu scale
selkärangaton invertebrate
lonkero tentacle
merirokko barnacle
pyrstö fish tail
koralli coral
plankton plankton

Finnish Sayings Related to Fish and Sea Creatures

  • Hän on kuin kala vedessä
    • Literally: He’s like a fish in the water.
    • Meaning: He’s in his element somewhere.
  • Kateus vie kalatkin vedestä.
    • Literally: Jealousy removes the fish from the water as well.
    • Meaning: When you’re jealous you see nothing positive anymore.
  • Ei kala miestä hae, jollei mies kalaa.
    • Literally: A fish won’t try to get a man if the man doesn’t try to get the fish.
    • Meaning: If you want something, you have to go for it.
  • Isoa kalaa kannattaa pyytää, vaikkei aina saisikaan.”
    • Literally: You should ask for a big fish, even if you don’t get it.
    • Meaning: It’s always worth asking for something.
  • Tyynessä vedessä ne suuret kalat kutevat.
    • Literally: It’s in still waters that the big fish spawn.
    • Meaning: Still waters run deep.
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Jordan Forbes

The Finnish word for Tench is Suutari, not Suurati.

Inge (admin)

It is indeed, thank you 🙂