School – koulu in Finnish – is a topic that is pretty important to many. You can find vocabulary for all grades of education in this article.
This page has a mix of both easier and harder words. If you’re a beginner student, it would be wise to first pick the words you will actually be using. You can always return later to expand your vocabulary!
Koulutyyppejä – Types of Schools
| Finnish |
English |
| aikuiskoulutuskeskus |
adult education center |
| aikuislukio |
high school for adults |
| alkeiskurssi |
elementary, basic course |
| ammatillinen aikuiskoulutus |
professional adult education |
| ammattikorkeakoulu |
university of applied sciences |
| ammattikoulu |
trade/vocational school |
| erityisopetus |
special education |
| esikoulu (spoken: eskari) |
preschool (for 6 year olds) |
| jatkokurssi |
intermediate course |
| korkeakoulu |
university |
| koulu |
school |
| koulutus |
schooling, education |
| kurssi |
course |
| leikkikoulu |
playschool |
| lukio |
high school |
| oppilaitos |
academy |
| peruskoulu |
primary school |
| poliisiammattikorkeakoulu |
police academy |
| päiväkoti |
kindergarten (for kids below 6) |
| sisäoppilaitos |
boarding school |
| yhteiskoulu |
co-educational school |
| yksityiskoulu |
private school |
| yliopisto |
university |
Ihmisiä Kouluissa – People in Schools
| Finnish |
English |
| dekaani |
dean |
| dosentti |
docent |
| kasvattaja |
educator |
| koulunkäyntiavustaja |
school attendance assistant |
| koululainen |
schoolchild |
| kouluttaja |
instructor |
| lastentarhanopettaja |
kindergarten teacher |
| lehtori |
lecturer |
| liikunnanopettaja |
PE teacher |
| luennoitsija |
lecturer |
| luokanvalvoja |
homeroom teacher |
| luokkakaveri |
classmate |
| opettaja |
teacher |
| opiskelija |
student |
| oppilas |
pupil |
| rehtori |
principle |
| seiskaluokkalainen |
seventh-grader |
| sijainen |
substitute |
| ylioppilas |
secondary school graduate |
| yliopisto-opiskelija |
university student |
Koulutarvikkeita – School Supplies
| Finnish |
English |
| dokumenttikamera |
document camera |
| koulukirja |
study book |
| kynä |
pen |
| liitu |
chalk |
| lyijykynä |
pencil |
| laskin |
calculator |
| mustataulu, valkotaulu, taulu |
blackboard, whiteboard, board |
| oppimateriaalit |
learning materials |
| paperi |
paper |
| penaali |
pencil case |
| projektori, tykki |
projector |
| (pyyhe)kumi |
eraser |
| ruutupaperi |
squared paper |
| sanakirja |
dictionary |
| teroitin |
pencil-sharpener |
| värikynä |
colored pencil |
Oppiaineita – Study Subjects
| Finnish |
English |
| aine, oppiaine |
school subject |
| biologia |
biology |
| elämänkatsomustieto |
ethics |
| fysiikka |
physics (related vocab) |
| historia |
history |
| kemia |
chemistry (related vocab) |
| kotitalous |
domestic science |
| kuvataide |
visual arts (related vocab) |
| käsityö |
handicraft |
| liikunta |
physical education |
| maantieto |
geography (related vocab) |
| matematiikka |
mathematics (related vocab) |
| musiikki |
music |
| terveystieto |
health education |
| toinen kotimainen kieli |
other official language (Finnish/Swedish) |
| uskonto |
religion |
| vieraat kielet |
foreign languages |
| yhteiskuntaoppi |
social studies |
| äidinkieli |
mothertongue |
Kouluun Liittyviä Verbejä – School-Related Verbs
| Finnish |
English |
| harjoitella |
to practice |
| huijata |
to cheat |
| ilmoittautua kurssille |
to sign up for a course |
| kerrata |
to rehearse |
| kirjoittaa |
to write |
| kouluttaa |
to educate |
| kuunnella |
to listen |
| kääntää |
to translate |
| luennoida |
to lecture |
| luntata |
to copy someone’s answers |
| muistaa |
to remember |
| opettaa |
to teach |
| opiskella |
to study |
| oppia |
to learn |
| osallistua pääsykokeeseen |
to take an entrance exam |
| päntätä kokeeseen |
to cram for an exam |
| saada huonoja arvosanoja |
to get bad grades |
| saada hyviä arvosanoja |
to get good grades |
| selittää |
to explain |
| suorittaa tutkinto |
to finish a degree |
| tarkistaa |
to check |
| tehdä läksyt, kotitehtävät |
to do the homework |
| toistaa |
to repeat |
| tutkia |
to examine |
| täydentää aukot |
to fill in the gaps |
| unohtaa |
to forget |
| valmistua + translative |
to graduate as a… |
| valmistua + mistä |
to graduate from… |
Yliopistosanastoa – University Vocabulary
| Finnish |
English |
| essee |
essay |
| fuksi |
first year student (spoken) |
| jatkotutkinto |
graduate degree |
| kandi |
bachelor thesis |
| kandidaatin tutkinto |
bachelor’s degree |
| kirjatentti |
book-based exam |
| lisensiaatti |
licentiate degree |
| luennoitsija |
lecturer |
| luento |
lecture |
| luentosali |
lecture hall |
| lääketieteellinen laitos |
medical faculty |
| maisterin tutkinto |
master’s degree |
| opintolaina |
student loan |
| opiskelija-asunto |
student apartment |
| opiskelija-asuntola |
student housing |
| opiskelijakortti |
student card |
| pakollinen kurssi |
obligatory course |
| pro gradu |
master’s thesis |
| pääaine |
major |
| pääsykoe |
entrance exam |
| seminaari |
seminar |
| sivuaine |
minor |
| tentti |
exam |
| tenttikirja |
exam book |
| tiedekunta |
faculty |
| tutkielma |
term paper |
| tutkinto |
degree |
| tuutori |
tutor |
| yliopistotutkinto |
university degree |
| vaihto-opiskelija |
exchange student |
| vaihtovuosi |
exchange year |
| valinnainen kurssi |
optional course |
| väitellä |
to defend your thesis |
| väitöskirja |
dissertation |
Muita Sanoja – Other Words
| Finnish |
English |
| akateeminen |
academic |
| arvosana |
grade, mark (e.g. 4/5) |
| harjoitus |
exercise |
| hyväksytty / hylätty |
pass / no pass |
| jälki-istunto |
detention |
| kevätlukukausi |
spring term |
| koe, testi, tentti |
test, exam |
| koulukiusaaminen |
school bullying |
| kouluruoka |
school lunch |
| leirikoulu |
school camp |
| lukukausi |
semester |
| lukuvuosi |
academic year |
| luokka |
classroom |
| läksyt, kotitehtävä |
homework |
| oppivelvollisuus |
compulsory education |
| syyslukukausi |
autumn term |
| tukiopetus |
tutoring |
| varhaiskasvatus |
early childhood education |
| välitunti |
recess |
| ekalla luokalla |
in the first year of primary school |
| tokalla luokalla |
in the second year of primary school |
That’s it for school – koulu – vocabulary! You might also be interested in the article containing phrases which will allow you to talk about your education in Finnish.
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Finnish speakers usually translate esikoulu as preschool, because that’s its literal translation, and päiväkoti as kindergarten, but I think this is incorrect; at least, in terms of the US school system.
In the US, children younger than age 5 might go to preschool (for which the English word daycare is a synonym). This corresponds more or less directly to the ages for children who attend päiväkoti.
Kindergarten is the year that introduces children to actual school (around age 5), which is the same purpose as esikoulu / eskari (age 6 or so)
I think this can actually lead to real confusion, and I’d like us all to actively correct this. For instance, there is a daycare in Lahti called “Lahti English Kindergarten” that’s for children younger than 5, who then go on to preschool at age 6.
Oh really? I didn’t know that! I thought the English world referred to preschool and kindergarten in the same same way Finland does. I’m sure many people aren’t aware of this, thanks for bringing it up!
Same in Denmark. The Danish word for ‘Kindergarten’ is ‘Börnehave’, and children attend that (if they want to) a year or two before they start in primary school.
Typo: ‘earier‘ should be ‘earlier‘.