What Is Uusi kielemme and What Does It Offer?

Updated

Uusi kielemme (uusikielemme.fi) is a free Finnish-learning website with more than 650 articles explaining Finnish grammar and vocabulary in English. It is best suited to self-directed learners who want clear reference explanations they can look up on demand, rather than a structured course with a fixed starting point. The site has been online since 2007 and is run by Inge, a non-native Finnish learner with a master's degree in Finnish from the University of Tampere.

What the site covers

The content is split into two main areas, both reachable from the site's overview pages:

  • Grammar — explanations of Finnish grammar topics across all difficulty levels, from basics to advanced syntax.
  • Vocabulary — organized into beginner, intermediate, and advanced sections.

The site also hosts interactive exercises and extra materials at uusikielemme.fi/extra/. According to the site's own announcement, these exercises and extras are now free for everyone; they previously required points. Users who had an active account at the time of the change were refunded.

Articles are written in English, though some newer titles appear in other languages (for example, Russian and Chinese), reflecting the site's international readership.

Who runs it and why

The name Uusi kielemme translates roughly as "our new language" — the -mme ending is a possessive suffix meaning "our." The site's framing is that Finnish becomes "our" language for learners, not just for native Finns.

The author, Inge, started the project because she found a lack of websites offering clear Finnish grammar explanations in English. The site is described as a hobby rather than a commercial product. There is no pricing information on the homepage, and no payment platforms or pricing links are listed in the site data.

How to use it

Uusi kielemme is explicitly not a lesson plan. There is no designated starting page, and the author states that the beginner/intermediate/advanced split on the vocabulary page isn't especially important. The recommended approach is:

  1. Start with the vocabulary that interests you most.
  2. Use the grammar overview page to find topics, noting that it mixes all difficulty levels.
  3. Check individual articles for notes marking which parts are aimed at more advanced students.
  4. Use the mobile menu (top left) to reach the vocabulary and grammar overview pages on a phone.

One caveat the author raises herself: a single page can contain a lot of information, so it's easy to feel overwhelmed.

Is it worth using?

Factor Detail
Cost Free, including exercises and extras
Format Reference articles, not a sequenced course
Language of instruction Primarily English
Scope 650+ articles on grammar and vocabulary
Best for Self-study, looking up specific grammar points
Less ideal for Learners who want a guided curriculum with a set order

If you want a structured course with lessons in sequence, this site won't provide that. If you want a large, searchable English-language reference for Finnish grammar and vocabulary — and free practice exercises — it's a reasonable place to start.