Bedeutung
Recounting an event or narrative.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Storytelling is often linked to the 'Kalevala'. Many modern Finnish stories still draw on themes of nature and magic from this epic. The Sami people have a rich oral tradition called 'joiku', which is a form of musical storytelling that 'tells' the essence of a person or place. Podcasts are huge in Finland. Many popular podcasts are simply people 'kertomassa juttuja' (telling stories) about their lives or true crime. Tove Jansson's Moomin stories are the most famous Finnish 'tarinat' globally, emphasizing philosophy and tolerance.
The 'To' Rule
Always remember to add -lle to the person you are telling the story to. 'Kerron sinulle' (I tell to you).
Don't use 'sanoa'
Using 'sanoa tarina' is a dead giveaway that you are translating literally from another language. Stick to 'kertoa'.
Bedeutung
Recounting an event or narrative.
The 'To' Rule
Always remember to add -lle to the person you are telling the story to. 'Kerron sinulle' (I tell to you).
Don't use 'sanoa'
Using 'sanoa tarina' is a dead giveaway that you are translating literally from another language. Stick to 'kertoa'.
Partitive vs Accusative
Use 'tarinaa' if you want to sound like you're in the middle of a cozy storytelling session. Use 'tarinan' if you're just stating the fact that you'll tell one.
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'kertoa'.
Minä ______ sinulle tarinan huomenna.
The subject is 'Minä' (I), so the verb must end in -n.
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'He tells a story about Finland'?
'Kertoa' is the correct verb, and 'Suomesta' (elative case) means 'about Finland'.
Complete the dialogue.
Lapsi: 'Isä, ______ minulle tarina!'
The child is using the imperative (command) form for one person (the father).
Match the phrase to the situation.
You are in a meeting and want to share a success story.
'Onnistumistarina' means 'success story', which is appropriate for a meeting.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMinä ______ sinulle tarinan huomenna.
The subject is 'Minä' (I), so the verb must end in -n.
How do you say 'He tells a story about Finland'?
'Kertoa' is the correct verb, and 'Suomesta' (elative case) means 'about Finland'.
Lapsi: 'Isä, ______ minulle tarina!'
The child is using the imperative (command) form for one person (the father).
You are in a meeting and want to share a success story.
'Onnistumistarina' means 'success story', which is appropriate for a meeting.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenNo, for telling the time, we use 'sanoa' (Sano paljonko kello on) or simply 'Kello on...'. 'Kertoa' is for longer information.
No, 'history' is 'historia'. However, history is often made of 'tarinoita' (stories).
'Tarina' is a bit more formal or structured. 'Juttu' is very casual and can mean anything from a story to a piece of news.
Minä kerroin, sinä kerroit, hän kertoi, me kerroimme, te kerroitte, he kertoivat.
Usually, we say 'kertoa satuja' (tell fairy tales) or 'puhua pukkia' to mean lying. 'Kertoa tarina' is usually neutral.
No, Finnish uses the elative case ending -sta/-stä on the noun instead of a preposition.
It undergoes consonant gradation: kertoa (strong, 'rt') -> kerron (weak, 'rr').
Yes, 'to tell a piece of news'. It follows the same logic as 'kertoa tarina'.
It is the Finnish word for a 'storyteller'.
Yes, especially in marketing ('bränditarina') and presentations.
Verwandte Redewendungen
kertoa vitsi
similarTo tell a joke
kertoa totuus
contrastTo tell the truth
tarinoida
specialized formTo spin a yarn / to chat
kertoa satuja
builds onTo tell fairy tales / to lie
