Lesson 2 - Self introduction
In the following section, you will learn how to introduce yourself in Kven.
Verbs throughout the lesson will be marked in orange to help you become more acquainted with them.
Introducing Yourself
When meeting someone new, you can start by greeting and introducing yourself the following way:
Minun nimi oon ...
My name is ...
Alternatively, you can also say:
Mie olen ...
I'm ...
Asking others' name?
When meeting someone new, you can start by asking what their name is:
Mikä oon sinun nimi?
What is your name?
Alternatively, you can also say:
Kuka sie olet?
Who are you?
If you are uncertain how their name is spelled, you can say:
Kunka se kirjotethaan?
How is it spelled?
Kunka se tavathaan?
How is it spelled?
Kunka kirjotat se?
How do you spell it?
Personal pronouns
Kven is a gender-neutral language. It lacks grammatical genders, and its third-person pronoun is also genderless.
mie
I
sie
you
hän / se
he, she / it
met
we
tet
you (pl.)
het
they
Dialogue 1
A: Hei, mikä oon sinun nimi?
B: Mie olen August.
A: Mikä oon sinun pöränimi?
B: Everding.
A: Kunka se kirjotethaan?
B: E-V-E-R-D-I-N-G.
A: Hi, what is your name?
B: I am August.
A: What is your surname?
B: Everding.
A: How do you spell it? (How is it written?)
B: E-V-E-R-D-I-N-G.
Word list
mikä
nimi
pöränimi / sukunimi / korko
kirjottaat
tavata
pron. what
n. name
n. family name, surname
vt. to write
vt. to spell