This guide adapts rules and examples from Microsoft’s 49-page Finnish Localization Style Guide (originally written for software/UI localization). The underlying linguistic rules apply universally — to legal contracts, medical documents, marketing copy, and any Finnish translation work. Restructured and reformatted as a general Finnish translator reference by ChatsControl.

Finnish Translation Style Guide — Voice, Word Choice & Common Pitfalls (Legal, Medical, Marketing, IT)¶

TL;DR¶

• Finnish translation across all spheres (legal, medical, marketing, IT) requires modern conversational register — avoid kapulakieli (bureaucratic Finnish) like viipymättä, mikäli, käyttö edellyttää; use modern equivalents heti, jos, käyttöön tarvitaan.
• Inflect product names directly when possible (Windows 11:n käyttäjä) rather than creating long compound names with hyphens (Windows 11 -käyttäjä); use genitive forms over compound words.
• Address the reader directly using sinuttelu (second-person singular) but leave the pronoun out — Finnish verb morphology already encodes person; don’t translate “we” literally when referring to the computer/system (use passive instead).
• Use sinun on/täytyy + infinitive sparingly — drop pronouns when verb form makes the actor clear; never use teitittely (formal second-person plural) in consumer-facing content.
• Use the curly closing quote ” (Unicode U+201D) for both opening and closing in Finnish — NOT English style with different opening/closing marks.

Register and tone for modern Finnish translation¶

Register is the level of formality, warmth, and conversational ease the target text projects. Modern Finnish readers across consumer-facing spheres expect language resembling everyday conversation rather than the formal kapulakieli (bureaucratic Finnish) of older administrative and technical writing.

Three principles define the modern Finnish register for consumer-facing content:

• Warm and relaxed. Sounds like honest conversation, not a formal notice. Less formal, more grounded — matching how Finns actually speak.
• Crisp and clear. Written for scanning first, reading second. Sentences short enough to parse quickly. Simplicity is the default.
• Ready to help. Anticipates what the reader needs and offers it at the right moment.

Why this matters: Kapulakieli damages outcomes across spheres. In marketing copy it kills conversion — readers bounce when text sounds like a court summons. In patient-facing medical materials it reduces comprehension and compliance. In software UI it creates friction at every interaction. In consumer-facing legal documents (terms of service, privacy notices) regulators and brands increasingly demand plain language. Only sworn legal translation and pure technical specifications retain the older formal register.

Flexibility: rewrite, don’t translate literally¶

Try to understand the whole intention of the sentence, paragraph, or page, then rewrite as if composing it yourself for a Finnish reader. Sometimes remove unnecessary content.

Sentence fragments and sentences without a verb often sound too colloquial, mechanical, or rude in Finnish. Use plain language and simple word choices instead. Fragments can still be used for emphasis or readability.

Words and phrases to avoid (kapulakieli → modern Finnish)¶

Modern voice avoids unnecessarily formal tone. In Finnish specifically, avoid kapulakieli — bureaucratic/overformal/complex constructions. Word-for-word translation often produces this register. Don’t use abbreviations like esim. for esimerkiksi — they reduce readability.

Why this matters: Kapulakieli appears in legal templates and government forms out of institutional habit but feels alien in modern consumer products, patient-facing medical materials, brand-led marketing, and user-friendly software. The shift from mikäli to jos, from tulee tehdä to täytyy tehdä, is among the highest-leverage edits a translator can make.

Word choice: short forms and product name inflection¶

Use approved Microsoft terminology for fixed terms. Beyond that, choose everyday Finnish words and structures.

Avoid long compound words — especially repeated ones. Avoid mechanical hyphenated compounds. Use genitive forms or inflect the product name directly instead of adding modifier words.

Word-for-word translation: why it fails¶

Literal translation produces stiff, unnatural Finnish. Read for meaning, then compose Finnish sentences naturally. Split sentences or omit descriptors as needed.

Inclusive language¶

Gender-neutral vocabulary¶

Use gender-neutral alternatives for common terms. Avoid compounds with gender-specific terms.

For generalizations, use plural noun forms (ihmiset, henkilöt, opiskelijat).

Cross-cutting inclusive vocabulary:

Note: Gender-neutral language should be used in new products/content going forward. Acceptable not to update legacy material.

Accessibility and people-first language¶

Focus on people, not disabilities. Don’t use words that imply pity (kärsiä, potea). Don’t mention a disability unless it’s relevant.

Keep paragraphs short, one verb per sentence. Spell out ja, plus, sekä, noin instead of using &, +, etc. — screen readers misread special characters.

Grammar and orthography¶

Abbreviations¶

Abbreviation should always follow normal grammar rules. Technical content has many established abbreviations that work in Finnish. For less well-known abbreviations, explain on first mention. Don’t use abbreviations like esim. (for esimerkiksi) in modern register.

Common Finnish abbreviations: kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/haku/lyhenteet/ohje/435.

Acronyms¶

Acronyms established in Finnish (laser, NATO) can be used as such. Uncommon acronyms should be explained. Always handle acronyms per Finnish grammar rules, especially for inflection.

Localized acronyms. Rarely localized — usually the English acronym stays. Never invent your own Finnish acronym from an English one.

Unlocalized acronyms. Inflect per Finnish grammar:

Adjectives¶

Handle per normal Finnish grammar. Translate nationalities in lowercase (English uses capitals — don’t copy). Often “downplay” English superlative adjectives slightly — direct translation can sound “un-Finnish”.

Possessive adjectives¶

English uses possessives frequently. In Finnish, when source has many possessives, don’t translate them all as possessives — sounds odd. Use judgment.

Capitalization¶

Follow normal Finnish rules (first word of sentence + proper nouns capitalized). Don’t imitate English over-capitalization. After a colon, lowercase if only one sentence follows.

Cases¶

Finnish has 15 cases. Some words allow multiple possible forms — consult Kielitoimiston sanakirja when uncertain. Common recommended cases:

Compounds and compound words¶

Avoid overly long or complex compounds. Compound meaning may differ from phrase meaning of same components.

Forming compounds with product/feature names. For grammar/inflection, you may form compound words by adding a stem/head element. English doesn’t usually do this. You can often inflect names directly for better readability. Use modifiers when:

• Inflection alone isn’t clear enough
• A whole phrase needs to be inflected (inflect only the last word)
• The text has a placeholder where the eventual replacement can’t be inflected
• The placeholder has multiple possible entries

Localizing colloquialisms¶

• Don’t replace source colloquialism with Finnish equivalent unless it’s a perfect natural fit.
• Translate intended meaning (not literal) if integral and can’t be omitted.
• If colloquialism can be omitted without affecting meaning, omit it.

Nouns¶

Follow normal Finnish grammar rules for inflection and plural formation. English phrases that reflect both singular and plural at once (page(s)) should be translated into plural — avoid confusing noun/verb endings.

Numbers¶

Numbers 1-10 spelled as words in running text. Round/approximate figures often spelled as words. In technical specifications numerals are preferred; in consumer content spelled-out forms may be more suitable.

Examples: - Juhlassa oli noin sata henkeä. - Määräys koskee satojatuhansia yrittäjiä.

Reference: Kielikello 2/2006 starting page 58, or kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/selaus/1987.

Prepositions¶

Follow normal Finnish grammar. For modern register, starting or ending a sentence with a preposition is acceptable in conveying conversational tone.

Pronouns¶

Use sinuttelu (second-person singular) to refer to the reader directly. Don’t use teitittely (second-person plural). The pronouns sinä and te should be used sparingly — often left untranslated, with the person indicated by a personal suffix on the verb.

Personal pronouns aren’t capitalized. Exception: User/Client in license agreements may be capitalized (but be consistent throughout document).

For first-person plural we: use when describing a recommendation from Microsoft. Don’t use when referring to action by the computer/service — use passive instead.

Punctuation¶

Follow normal Finnish grammar rules.

• Don’t use abbreviations.
• Avoid too many semicolons — two shorter sentences often better.
• Don’t overuse exclamation points — choose stronger words instead.
• En dash adds emphasis without breaking the sentence — more casual than colon.
• Use question marks judiciously — sentence must contain a question word if you use a question mark.
• Quotation marks are used frequently in English — in Finnish only with actual quotations.

Bulleted lists¶

Very strict Finnish grammar rules for lists. Never translate directly — apply Finnish list grammar rules.

Comma¶

Follow normal Finnish rules. Nonfinite clauses naturally not separated by a comma.

Colon¶

If multiple sentences follow a colon, all start with capital. If only one sentence follows, lowercase.

Dashes and hyphens¶

Hyphen. Per normal Finnish grammar.

En dash. As minus sign with spaces around it. In Finnish, used as ajatusviiva (dash in a sentence) with space on both sides. Used in number ranges without spaces. Never use em dash for ajatusviiva.

Em dash. Should NOT be used in Finnish. Use hyphen or en dash per their respective purposes.

Quotation marks¶

Finnish uses curly closing quote ” for BOTH opening and closing (Unicode U+201D). Opening and closing marks are identical — unlike English. If the tool can’t produce ”, use straight quotes ” for both. Don’t mix opening and closing styles.

Don’t copy English quotation marks blindly — Finnish uses them far less. Consider whether quotes are actually needed.

Parentheses¶

No space between parentheses and inside text. If text inside is a complete sentence, capitalize and end with period inside parentheses. If not a complete sentence, no capital, no period.

Symbols and nonbreaking spaces¶

Nonbreaking spaces can cause problems in final document generation. Don’t use in online help and documentation live content.

Ampersand. Always translate & as “and” (ja) in running text. Don’t keep & in target unless part of tag, placeholder, shortcut, or code.

Sentence fragments¶

In Finnish, sentence fragments or sentences without verbs may sound too colloquial, mechanical, or rude. Often a readable friendly tone comes from plain language and simple choices. Fragments can still be used for emphasis or readability.

Verbs¶

Simple tenses (simple present preferred). Avoid future tense unless describing something that really will happen.

Active forms preferred. Noun structures make sentences heavy and harder to read. Noun structures CAN be used in messages where the logical agent isn’t a person but rather a program (avoiding passive). However, passive form is also acceptable for that purpose.

Avoid starting sentences with verbs in second-person singular form. In introductions, use passive form. Otherwise use active form with verb voida (can). For instructions, use imperative form.

Verb forms in titles and list headings often in infinitive. Best Finnish translation is usually -minen form. If source titles/headings are imperative, can sometimes translate as imperative — but in software where the same string might be a command or a window title, use imperative (commands/buttons must be in imperative).

Continuous operations expressed in English with gerund usually translate as -minen form (in headings) or passive (in messages).

Error messages¶

Apply Microsoft voice principles. Translate in passive form usually but not always — if source is active voice, target can be active too. Politeness of text can be toned down.

Standard error phrases¶

Placeholders¶

%d, %ld, %u, %lu = ; %c = ; %s = . Identify what replaces each placeholder for grammatical correctness. When unknown or variable, use modifiers — sounds slightly odd but unavoidable.

Keys and shortcuts¶

Key names¶

Keyboard shortcuts¶

• Slim characters (I, l, t, r, f) — allowed but not encouraged.
• Downstroke characters (g, j, y, p, q) — allowed but not encouraged.
• Extended characters — allowed but not encouraged.
• Letters/numbers/punctuation in brackets after item — no.
• Duplicate shortcuts when no alternative — no.
• No shortcut assigned when none available (minor options) — yes.

Standard shortcut keys (selection)¶

Pronunciation of English terms¶

English terms and product names left unlocalized pronounced as English words. If Finnish has established pronunciation for a common term (server), use it. Pronunciation can adapt to Finnish phonetic system if original sounds awkward.

Acronym pronunciation¶

As words: RADIUS ˈrɑ.di.us, RAS ˈrɑs, ISA ˈi: ˈæs ˈɑː, LAN ˈlɑn, WAN ˈʋɑn, WAP ˈmɑ.pi, MAPI ˈæs.ku:.æl, POP ˈpop, URL ˈu: ˈær ˈæl.

Letter-by-letter: ICMP, IP, TCP/IP, XML, HTML, OWA, SQL.

URL pronunciation¶

Drop http://. Pronounce www as “veeveevee”. Dot pronounced piste in Finnish.

Example: http://www.microsoft.com/fi-fi → ˈʋeː.ʋe:.ʋe: ‘pis.te ˈmik.ro.soft ˈpis.te ‘kom ‘kɑut:a ˈfi ˈʋiːʋɑ ˈfi.

Copilot predefined prompts¶

Best practices for localizing Copilot prompts:

• Be clear and specific. Source prompts are action-verb questions/requests.
• Keep it conversational. Simple natural Finnish, informal tone.
• Be polite and professional. No slang or jargon.
• Use quotation marks to mark content for Copilot to write/modify/replace.
• Pay attention to placement of entity tokens. <entity type='file'>file</entity> triggers UI pop-ups; not localizable but position matters in target syntax. Exception: display-text examples may need translation — read DevComment carefully.
• Be consistent.

Examples:

Trademark and copyright symbols¶

If a word with trademark/copyright symbol needs inflection in Finnish, place the symbol AFTER the suffix. Avoid inflecting such words when you can.

Reference materials: authoritative Finnish sources¶

Normative sources (must be followed):

1. Kielitoimiston sanakirja — Available both in print and online. The standard Finnish dictionary. kielitoimistonsanakirja.fi
2. Kielitoimiston oikeinkirjoitusopas. Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen julkaisuja 171. Helsinki 2012.
3. Iisa, Katariina – Oittinen, Hannu – Piehl, Aino (2012). Kielenhuollon käsikirja. 7th expanded ed. Helsinki: Yrityskirjat.
4. Itkonen, Terho – Maamies, Sari (2011). Uusi kieliopas. 4th rev. ed. Helsinki: Tammi.
5. TEPA — Sanastokeskus TSK terminology bank. termipankki.fi/tepa

Online resources:

• Kielitoimiston ohjepankki — Language guidance: kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi
• Common Finnish abbreviations — kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/haku/lyhenteet/ohje/435
• Number usage in Finnish — kielitoimistonohjepankki.fi/selaus/1987
• Kotimaisten kielten keskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland) — kotus.fi

FAQ¶

What’s the modern register for Finnish translation across professional contexts?¶

Clear, friendly, concise — language resembling everyday conversation rather than the formal kapulakieli (bureaucratic Finnish) of older administrative and technical writing. This applies to medical patient materials, marketing copy, software UI, and consumer-facing legal documents. Pure technical/legal contracts retain more formality but readability still matters.

Which Finnish vocabulary is kapulakieli and should I avoid?¶

Bureaucratic forms like viipymättä/välittömästi (immediately) → heti; käyttö edellyttää/vaatii (requires) → käyttöön tarvitaan; tulee tehdä (have to do) → pitää/täytyy tehdä; mikäli (if) → jos; tehdäksesi (to do something) → jos haluat tehdä X, tee Y. Don’t use abbreviations like esim. for esimerkiksi — they reduce readability.

How should I handle Finnish product name inflection?¶

Inflect the product name directly when possible (Windows 11:n käyttäjä, Bingin suositut haut, Office’iin kirjautuminen). This is preferred over creating long compound names with hyphens like Windows 11 -käyttäjä. Use genitive forms over compound words for clarity.

How should I address users in Finnish translation?¶

Use sinuttelu (second-person singular). Don’t use teitittely (formal second-person plural). The pronoun sinä is usually left out — Finnish verb morphology already encodes the person via personal suffix.

How do I handle “we” when source refers to the computer/system?¶

Don’t translate it literally. “We can’t find the printer” should NOT become “Emme löydä tulostinta” — sounds odd. Use passive instead: “Tulostinta ei löydy”.

What quotation marks should I use in Finnish?¶

Use the so-called right double curved quote ” (Unicode U+201D) for BOTH opening and closing — opening and closing marks are identical in Finnish, unlike English. If the tool can’t produce it, use straight quotes ” for both.

What authoritative Finnish language references should I use?¶

Normative: Kielitoimiston sanakirja (online and print), Kielitoimiston oikeinkirjoitusopas (Kotimaisten kielten keskus 2012), Kielenhuollon käsikirja by Iisa, Oittinen & Piehl (Yrityskirjat, 2012), Uusi kieliopas by Itkonen & Maamies (Tammi, 2011), TEPA — Sanastokeskus TSK terminology bank.

Sources¶

• Microsoft Globalization Style Guides hub
• Kielitoimiston sanakirja
• Kotimaisten kielten keskus
• TEPA — Finnish Terminology Bank
• Kielitoimiston ohjepankki