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"House" and "home" in Finnish: talo and koti

talo / koti

Say it: TAH-lo / KO-ti. In Finnish, stress is always on the first syllable.

Talo is the building, a "house". Koti is where you live, your "home".

The difference

Talo is a physical building: Meillä on iso talo ("We have a big house"). Koti is the place you belong: Olen kotona ("I'm at home"). A koti can be a flat, a room or a house.

In, to and from

	In / at	To	From
house	talossa	taloon	talosta
home	kotona	kotiin	kotoa

Koti has its own special forms, so it is worth learning them as a set: kotona (at home), kotiin (home, as in "going home"), kotoa (from home).

Example sentences

Meillä on iso talo.We have a big house.
Olen kotona.I'm at home.
Menen kotiin.I'm going home.
Talo on punainen.The house is red.

Common questions

How do you say "house" in Finnish?

Talo.

How do you say "I'm going home" in Finnish?

Menen kotiin.

What is the difference between talo and koti?

Talo is the building. Koti is home, the place you live.

Related words

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