Nordic Languages Thread

[Bobriha]

It looks like among SSSS readers there is a bunch of people studiing languages related to Scandinavian countries (at least Finnish). So it could be interesting to exchange stories about the way you started learning the language you learn, difficults you've met and so on and so forth.
Speaking about me, I am Russian who learns Finish (along with Japanese). I learn it for about month, so, as one can concider, SSSS was the ispiration pushing for it Finnish has been in my wish-to-learn list for a while, though. I can't say much about the language, but it's possessiivisuffiisit somehow remind me about ones in Kazakh language. Also, Finnish wasn't as strange and inconceivable as I imagined it from stories about it. What a relief

[Sparky Dragon]

Well, I've taken up learning Finnish recently, and quite honestly, I couldn't have told you two words in it a month ago. So, yes, SSSS was my inspiration for learning it as well. I have actually been finding it much easier and fun to learn than French, which I've been taking in school for...four years now? I still can't even count to twenty in French. Ah, well.

[Nimphy]

Heh, I was thinking of starting this thread. I'd love to learn a Nordic language, but I'm not actually learning any at the moment. For now I was thinking Finnish. Looks the easiest of the bunch, even though Swedish IMHO sounds a lot cuter. 

How is everyone here learning what they learn? Self-taught? Courses? Kind Nordic friend? All the languages I can speak to a degree I learned though lots of grammatical rules (school, grammar books, whatever), then reading a lot, listening to songs and watching movies.

[Fimbulvarg]

Heh, I was thinking of starting this thread. I'd love to learn a Nordic language, but I'm not actually learning any at the moment. For now I was thinking Finnish. Looks the easiest of the bunch, even though Swedish IMHO sounds a lot cuter. 

I don't think "easy" is a good description. It's definitely doable, but keep in mind that Finnish is a) completely different from any other major European language and b) has a crazy amount of uncommon grammatical rules.

The advantage of Swedish would be that many Finns also learn Swedish, and that you can also be understood by Danes and Norwegians.

[noako]

Hahaa, mielenkiintoista katsoa kun toiset opettelevat suomea. Toivottavasti opitte hyvin!


There's a bit of homework for you I studied swedish in school (it's mandatory in Finland), but now I have forgotten almost everything. There's bits and pieces I think I might understand, but I certainly wouldn't survive in Stockholm speaking only swedish...

Luckily all the scandinavian countries are pretty good at english.


Edit: Nimphy, I think Fimbulvarg said it best - Swedish is more useful in general, more common and I think it sounds better too.

[Nimphy]

Hahaa, mielenkiintoista katsoa kun toiset opettelevat suomea. Toivottavasti opitte hyvin!


There's a bit of homework for you I studied swedish in school (it's mandatory in Finland), but now I have forgotten almost everything. There's bits and pieces I think I might understand, but I certainly wouldn't survive in Stockholm speaking only swedish...


Edit: Nimphy, I think Fimbulvarg said it best - Swedish is more useful in general, more common and I think it sounds better too.

Beh, questi invece sono i compiti per te! Divertiti!

Apo preferon që të flas shqip? Më beso, gjuhët e huaja nuk më trëmbin.

Now that I've said all the important things , if you guys say so, Swedish it is! I get to study the cute language! (Finnish is scary. Danish is weird and I have no idea what Norwegian and Icelandic sound like)

... It's not like I'm starting anytime soon, though. I have enough languages to juggle as it is. Maybe in a couple of years? Although knowing how to say yes and no couldn't hurt.

[Fimbulvarg]

Edit: Nimphy, I think Fimbulvarg said it best - Swedish is more useful in general, more common and I think it sounds better too.

You make me sound really mean . It does belong in the calculation, but let's be honest - if it were about usefulness and number of speakers Spanish or German would be the languages to learn. It's more important to ask yourself which languages appeal to you, who do you want to communicate with and how much effort are you willing to put down.

[noako]

You make me sound really mean . It does belong in the calculation, but let's be honest - if it were about usefulness and number of speakers Spanish or German would be the languages to learn. It's more important to ask yourself which languages appeal to you, who do you want to communicate with and how much effort are you willing to put down.

Oohh noo, I didn't mean to imply anything like that! It's just that I also have noticed it. So many times I have wished I'd know swedish better, because of the reasons you said.
But yeah, all in all, all scandinavian languages are pretty useless "in real life" unless you plan on moving there or just showing off for friends - but whatever the reason, learning new things is never bad.

[Bobriha]

I don't think "easy" is a good description. It's definitely doable, but keep in mind that Finnish is a) completely different from any other major European language and b) has a crazy amount of uncommon grammatical rules.

Well, they are still rules, compare to crazy amount of crazy exeptions in Russian. What I found out while learning Japanese, uncommon rules don't make language impossible for learning. The trick is to percept language as it is and to do not try to make judgements of it using your native language conceptions. It sounds odd but really makes things easier

[Sparky Dragon]

I think the 'not making judgements based on your own language' bit is why I like Finnish so much. It's very dissimilar to English, but still is familiar enough I don't have to figure out how to install a new keyboard. Heh.

[Mr_Nabby]

Yeah, whenever I have seen a disscusion about Nordic languages the general consensus have always been that swedish is the more universal language of the bunch, since it is the one most people are able to (kinda) understand.

[Pessi]

As Fimbulvarg said, a lot depends on why you want to learn a language. If you want to live in Finland or study a subject like Kalevala and related poetry, then of course Finnish is your choice. If you are bent on living and/or learning about the culture of some other Nordic country, then learn the appropriate language. If you are learnig just for fun, then choose the language you like most.

Personally I'm happy of every person who is willing to take the trouble of learning my beloved mother tongue, Finnish

[SinisterEternity]

SSSS was definitely a big push for me to actually start learning Finnish, even though I kind of learn it...slowly. xD
I have like, a list with many words and a few verbs, trying to figure out how would a verb change when it's "you" or "I", etc...I'm asking a Finnish friend to teach me, it's rather fun and entertaining, and I love the way Finnish sounds, too

I wouldn't be able to make a full sentence yet, though. Sadly! D:

[Lenny]

I've been learning Norwegian casually for the past year and a half. Courtesy of Kaizers Orchestra. I've fallen in love with the language thanks to them. SSSS and aRTD have helped me keep my interest alive, though

It's very fun. I'm already fluent in Afrikaans, Dutch, and English, plus able to read German, so seeing the similarities between all the languages is absolutely fun, whether it's the way things are said, the spellings, the grammatical stuff... even seeing the ways in which they aren't similar is fun and interesting - for example, the Norwegian for "I" (Jeg) is said in the exact same way the Afrikaans for "You (singular)" (jy) is said. Took me a bit to rewire that connection in my brain.

Also, the tones in Norwegian (and Swedish, for that matter) are much more comfortable to me than English. And for a non-English native living in an English speaking country, it's always nice to hear those tones, whether it be via a language program, songs, or talk shows and things. Something else which keeps my interest in this language alive

It's also pretty cool to hear the differences in dialect in Norwegian. Though it's confusing, too. Sometimes words are said completely differently, depending where the speaker is from, haha.

[Fimbulvarg]

I've been learning Norwegian casually for the past year and a half. Courtesy of Kaizers Orchestra. I've fallen in love with the language thanks to them. SSSS and aRTD have helped me keep my interest alive, though

It's very fun. I'm already fluent in Afrikaans, Dutch, and English, plus able to read German, so seeing the similarities between all the languages is absolutely fun, whether it's the way things are said, the spellings, the grammatical stuff... even seeing the ways in which they aren't similar is fun and interesting - for example, the Norwegian for "I" (Jeg) is said in the exact same way the Afrikaans for "You (singular)" (jy) is said. Took me a bit to rewire that connection in my brain.

Also, the tones in Norwegian (and Swedish, for that matter) are much more comfortable to me than English. And for a non-English native living in an English speaking country, it's always nice to hear those tones, whether it be via a language program, songs, or talk shows and things. Something else which keeps my interest in this language alive

It's also pretty cool to hear the differences in dialect in Norwegian. Though it's confusing, too. Sometimes words are said completely differently, depending where the speaker is from, haha.

Yeah, dialects. You probably already know that Kaizers Orchestra sing in a very rustic, unique-sounding dialect called Jærsk. That's the thing about Norwegian - they'll usually teach foreigners a very clinical, TV-like version of Eastern Norwegian, but most Norwegians speak some other kind of dialect from their home area and are not used to switching to more neutral dialects.