The Many Meanings of Lahja in Finnish: From Presents to Talents

Hyvät unenlahjat ('being gifted in sleeping well') - Words with more than one meaning

One of the first things learners notice in Finnish is how a single word can carry several meanings. In earlier posts, I've explored verbs like pitää ("to like / to hold / to keep / to must"), välittää ("to care / to pass on"), antaa ("to give, to allow, to let"), and saada ("to get, to be allowed to, to receive"). This time, for a change—and since the holiday season is around the corner—let's look at the noun lahja.

Lahja as a Present

At the intermediate level, you'll often come across discussions related to gifts. For example, possible topics could be:

• What makes a good gift?

• It's your friend's birthday, but you don't know what to get them. Ask a colleague for advice.

• You're on your way to a party and realize you left the gift at home. How do you react?

• Your course is ending, and you and your classmates want to buy a small gift for your teacher. Write an email to the group suggesting one.

Here lahja clearly means a present—something you give voluntarily and kindly as a gesture of appreciation.

Lahja as a Talent

But lahja isn't always about objects. You might also hear expressions like lahjakas ihminen ("a gifted person") or hyvät unenlahjat ("the gift of good sleep"). In the YKI test, you often need to catch these meanings quickly, so it helps to be aware of how polysemic these words can be.

Some other questions on this topic include:

• In what areas are you gifted? What skills do you posses?

• How can a person develop their talents?

• "Tasan ei mene onnen lahjat." - meaning something like luck and fortune's gifts are not shared equally, or Life doesn't hand out its blessings equally. Do you think that's true?

• "A mistake is a gift." Do you agree or disagree?

From A1 to B2: Understanding Beyond the Literal

This shift in meaning is exactly what separates the beginner (A1) from the intermediate (B1) level: understanding words on a deeper level. By B2 (YKI level 4), you're also expected to recognize figurative expressions like Tasan ei käy onnen lahjat ("luck is not distributed equally") or Moka on lahja ("a mistake is a gift"), 'moka' being colloquial word for virhe, mistake.

My own take on gifts

If I were to answer the question about developing one's gifts, I'd say this: I strongly believe that everyone can nurture their talents and grow in many ways. Personally, I'm not very good at going to bed early, but I do have hyvät unenlahjat—I fall asleep quickly and usually sleep deeply without waking up.

I've actually improved this "gift" through self-awareness. I make a point of finishing my work and studies during the day, so I don't have to lie awake worrying about them at night.

As for other talents, nothing extraordinary comes to mind. Perhaps I'm socially gifted, since I have many friends, acquaintances, and a wide circle of people I get along with. And to me, good friends are the greatest gift of all—something I value deeply and feel truly grateful for.