Duolingo has added Finnish to the list of languages you can learn on its website and app. Finnish is renowned for being one of the most difficult languages to learn, so people keen to learn how to speak Finnish clearly need all of the help they can get.
What Is Duolingo?
For the uninitiated, Duolingo offers an interesting way to learn languages in bite-sized chunks. Using gamification to help you master a new language. And as someone who has used Duolingo to learn a little Italian, I can attest to its effectiveness.
Over the years, Duolingo has added dozens of new languages to its lineup. This means you can now learn to speak Chinese, learn to speak Hindi, and learn to speak Arabic, all using Duolingo. Hell, fans of Star Trek can even learn to speak Klingon.
Why Is Finnish So Hard to Master?
Now, Duolingo has added Finnish to the mix. Which has been one of the most-requested languages to learn on Duolingo (behind Maori and Gaelic). However, Finnish is, for a number of reasons, a particularly difficult language to learn, so don’t expect to master it quickly.
As explained on the Duolingo Blog, Finnish shares very little in common with the Scandinavian languages spoken in neighboring countries. So while (as Germanic languages) Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian all share similar words, Finnish stands alone.
Jippii!
?? We Finnished what we started!
?? We reached the Finnish line!
?? It's Finnally here!OK, we'll stop. ? But you can start learning Finnish today on iOS, Android, and Web: https://t.co/0xCXaHTbvo pic.twitter.com/DcUTso1jXE
— Duolingo (@duolingo) June 24, 2020
It isn’t only that which marks Finnish out as difficult to learn either. It boasts 15 grammatical cases, as opposed to the three generally found in English. Which means you’re unlikely to master Finnish, even with help from Duolingo (and extra homework).
Still, that isn’t to say it isn’t worth trying, and because Duolingo uses a variety of techniques to slowly build your understanding of a new language, you may well be able to learn enough Finnish to hold a conversation with a Finn. Maybe. Over many years.
How to Start Learning Finnish on Duolingo
You can learn to speak Finnish using Duolingo right now on Android, iOS, or the web. Just sign in or sign up online, or install the Duolingo app and choose Finnish as the language you want to learn. Duolingo is free to use, but there is the option of paying for Duolingo Plus.
Read the full article: You Can Now Learn to Speak Finnish on Duolingo
