Bedeutung
Asking what the problem is.
Kultureller Hintergrund
Finns value personal space, but 'Mikä hätänä?' is a socially accepted way to show you care when someone is visibly upset. It's a key part of Finnish empathy. Among Finnish-Americans or Finnish-Australians, this phrase is often one of the few preserved idioms used to show family concern. Nurses and doctors use this phrase frequently to assess a patient's immediate distress level. It is the primary phrase parents use to comfort children, often followed by 'Ei hätää' (No worries/It's okay).
Tone Matters
Say it with a soft, falling intonation to sound empathetic. A rising intonation can sound surprised or even annoyed.
Not a Greeting
Never use this as a way to say 'Hello'. It will make people think there is a fire or a disaster.
Bedeutung
Asking what the problem is.
Tone Matters
Say it with a soft, falling intonation to sound empathetic. A rising intonation can sound surprised or even annoyed.
Not a Greeting
Never use this as a way to say 'Hello'. It will make people think there is a fire or a disaster.
Add 'sinulla'
Adding 'sinulla' (or 'sulla') makes the question feel more personal and direct: 'Mikä sulla on hätänä?'
The 'No Hätä' Response
If someone asks you this and you are fine, the best response is 'Ei mitään hätää, kiitos' (No emergency, thanks).
Teste dich selbst
Fill in the missing word to ask 'What's wrong?'.
Mikä _______?
The phrase requires the essive case '-na'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to ask a friend what's wrong?
A friend is crying. What do you say?
'Mitä kuuluu?' is a greeting, and 'Mikä on ongelma?' is too cold/formal.
Complete the dialogue.
A: (Sees friend looking sad) ______? B: Minulla on koti-ikävä.
The response 'I am homesick' indicates the first person asked what was wrong.
Match the phrase to the situation.
Situation: You hear a crash in the kitchen.
You use 'Mikä hätänä?' to check if someone is okay after an accident.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Visuelle Lernhilfen
When to say 'Mikä hätänä?'
Emotional
- • Crying
- • Sadness
- • Heartbreak
Physical
- • Falling
- • Pain
- • Accident
Urgent
- • Lost child
- • Fire
- • Loud crash
Aufgabensammlung
4 AufgabenMikä _______?
The phrase requires the essive case '-na'.
A friend is crying. What do you say?
'Mitä kuuluu?' is a greeting, and 'Mikä on ongelma?' is too cold/formal.
A: (Sees friend looking sad) ______? B: Minulla on koti-ikävä.
The response 'I am homesick' indicates the first person asked what was wrong.
Situation: You hear a crash in the kitchen.
You use 'Mikä hätänä?' to check if someone is okay after an accident.
🎉 Ergebnis: /4
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenIt can be. If someone just dropped a pen, it's too much. If they look like they're about to cry, it's perfect.
Yes, if they look visibly distressed. It shows you are a caring employee.
'Hätänä' is for distress/emergencies; 'Vaivaa' is for things that are 'bothering' or 'ailing' someone.
You can say 'Ei mikään' (Nothing) or explain your problem: 'Olen vain väsynyt' (I'm just tired).
Absolutely. It's a very common way to check on a friend who has posted something sad.
In this phrase, yes, but it can also mean a 'need' (like needing the bathroom). Context is key!
You can make it formal by using 'teillä': 'Mikä teillä on hätänä?'.
Usually, it's for people. For a car, you'd say 'Mikä tässä on vikana?' (What's wrong with this?).
Yes, it's one of the most common ways to express concern in Finnish.
The '-na' ending (essive case) means 'in the state of'. So, 'What is [present] in the state of emergency?'.
Verwandte Redewendungen
Ei hätää
contrastNo worries / No emergency
Mikä vaivaa?
similarWhat's bothering you?
Mikä mättää?
slangWhat's the glitch?
Hätäkeskus
builds onEmergency center (112)
