Latest / Learn Finnish with Fexingo / Finnish Cooking: Chopping & Peeling Basics
Transcript
- Lucas: Welcome back to another episode of Learn Finnish with Fexingo. I am Lucas, and I am so glad you are here again. Luna: And I am Luna! Last time we were talking about mixing ingredients and kneading dough. That felt very satisfying. Lucas: It was. But before we can bake that bread or mix that soup, we usually need to prepare our vegetables first. Luna: Right. Cutting things up. I always struggle with remembering the different words for cutting. Is it all just cut? Lucas: Not exactly. Finnish has specific words depending on how you cut. Today we will focus on three main actions: chopping, peeling, and slicing. Luna: Okay. Let's start with the most common one. Chopping onions? I see this phrase everywhere. Lucas: Yes. The word for chop is leikata. So, if someone tells you to chop an onion, they say Leikkaa sipulia. Luna: Leikkaa sipulia. Okay. Let me try that. Leikkaa sipulia. Lucas: Perfect. You said it clearly. Leikkaa sipulia. It means chop onion. Remember, sipulia is the partitive form because you are not chopping a whole onion at once. Luna: Got it. Partitive. Leikkaa sipulia. I can hear the recipe in my head now. Leikkaa sipulia. Leikkaa sipulia. Lucas: Exactly. And let's practice that rhythm. Leikkaa sipulia. Leikkaa sipulia. Nice and steady. Luna: Leikkaa sipulia. Leikkaa sipulia. I think I have that muscle memory locked in. Lucas: I bet you do. Now, what about when you need to remove the skin from something? Like a potato? Luna: Oh, yes. Peeling. What is the word for peel? Lucas: The verb is kuoria. So, to tell someone to peel a potato, you say Kuori peruna. Luna: Kuori peruna. Wait, does kuori sound like cookie? Lucas: A little bit, but shorter. Kuori peruna. It means peel potato. Just remember, no extra vowels at the end. Luna: Okay. Kuori peruna. Kuori peruna. I feel like I am in a kitchen show now. Lucas: You are. Kuori peruna. Kuori peruna. Try it with a smile. Kuori peruna. Luna: Kuori peruna. Kuori peruna. Yes. That feels good. Simple and direct. Lucas: Very good. Now, there is one more type of cut we use often. When you dice something into small cubes. Luna: Dicing. Like for a salad or a stew? Lucas: Exactly. The word is pilkkoa. So, to dice a carrot, you say Pilko porkkana. Luna: Pilkko porkkana. Ooh, that sounds sharp. Pilko porkkana. Lucas: It does sound precise. Pilko porkkana. Pilko porkkana. Keep practicing that P sound. Luna: Pilkko porkkana. Pilko porkkana. Pilko porkkana. I like how distinct the consonants are. Lucas: They really are. Pilko porkkana. Pilko porkkana. One last time together. Pilko porkkana. Luna: Pilko porkkana. Okay, I think I have the three main commands down. Chop onion, peel potato, dice carrot. Lucas: You certainly do. But sometimes you want to describe what you are doing yourself, not just giving orders. Luna: Right. Like saying I am slicing cucumber. How do we say that? Lucas: For slicing into thin pieces, we use viipaloida. So, Minä viipaloin kurkkua means I slice cucumber. Luna: Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Wow. That is a mouthful. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Lucas: It takes a moment to get used to. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Break it down slowly. Luna: Minä viipaloin... kurkkua. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. There we go. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Lucas: Excellent. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Minä viipaloin kurkkua. You are getting the hang of the personal form too. Luna: It feels good to add that variety. So we have Leikkaa sipulia, Kuori peruna, Pilko porkkana, and Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Lucas: That is a solid set. If you know those, you can handle most prep work in a Finnish kitchen. Luna: I feel ready to make dinner. But wait, before we finish, I wanted to mention something about the show. Lucas: Sure thing. What is on your mind? Luna: If Fexingo has been helping you make actual progress with this language, consider supporting us. A couple of dollars a month is genuinely what keeps these going — buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, it really makes a difference. It covers the costs and lets us keep making these episodes ad-free for you. Luna: Thank you for listening. Now, back to the kitchen. Let's review our phrases one more time. Lucas: Let's do it. Leikkaa sipulia. Luna: Leikkaa sipulia. Lucas: Kuori peruna. Luna: Kuori peruna. Lucas: Pilko porkkana. Luna: Pilko porkkana. Lucas: Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Luna: Minä viipaloin kurkkua. Lucas: Great job today. You are building a real foundation. Luna: I am. Thanks for teaching me, Lucas. See you next time. Lucas: See you next time. Bye for now.