# Forum Other Languages Germanic languages Scandinavian  FINNISH

## Pasha

I thinki wana learn it. . .hmm. . .what should i do, finnish or swedish?   ::   don

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## Pravit

No "think" you want to. As that one guy from Israel said, people rarely learn a language just out of curiosity. You have to have a driving will to learn this language.

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## Zhenya

Pick the language you most like...I for one have experience that if you know swedish, finnish is easier to learn...I know both...better or worse

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## Zhenya

There are of course more speakers of Swedish than of Finnish, both because S. has got more inhabitants, but a quite large procentage (relatively) of the finnish population Speak Swedish, as for example in many parts of Helsinki

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## kalinka_vinnie

And learning swedish will give you the benefit of understand Norwegian and Danish too. Depending on your natvie tounge, Swedish might be easier for English speakers and Finnish for... Estonian speakers...

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## Zhenya

Yes, but not unoften do I look like this   ::    when Nor. and Dan. are trying to make me understand   ::

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## kalinka_vinnie

Hmm, I have no problems communicating with Swedes (as a Norwegian), but I agree that listening to the Danes is a tough cookie. But reading danish is as easy as 1-2-3. However, if a finnish was to try to communicate... ai ai ai ai...

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## Zhenya

yes Danish is tougher...to listen to!

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## brett

I suggest you just get an early taste for both. It's not a waste of time and energy if it helps you decide which one you like best. It's better than dying wondering "maybe I should've chosen the other one". 
It often takes just one solitary artist or website which sings to your personality perfectly. For example; Do you know how many people say they learnt Icelandic purely on the inspiration provided by Bjork. It astronomical. It just takes that one special person or website. So, fish around culturally. There's no correct answer to your question tey, because you've obviuosly not met that special source that say "this is THE language i want to learn".
Practicality helps my decisions as to which languages to learn. But, Finnish is a language that I learn purely because I found that special someone who inspired me on the culture. (For me, the members of Hedningarna. A musical group). I'd have learnt Danish because I may live there one day. But, I'd never have considered Finalnd as a potential residency if it weren't for the individuals I spoke of who brought the culture alive for me.

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## paasikivi

>but a quite large procentage (relatively) of the finnish population Speak Swedish 
Not true, only about 5 % as native tongue. And most of them understand Finnish perfectly. Finnish speaking people don't understand Swedish very well.

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## RusskiSlav

[quote=Pasha]I thinki wana learn it. . .hmm. . .what should i do, finnish or swedish?   ::   don

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