A picture is worth a thousand words, and this picture from downtown Helsinki speaks volumes about the symbolic use of English in Finland

You know what I absolutely love about this window signage in downtown Helsinki (on Kalevankatu, for anyone who really likes the specifics)? I love that it’s in English, but it’s not written for an English-speaking or an international audience, it’s written for Finns — or least for non-Finns who have lived in Finland long enough that they know what narikka means. That’s right, you’re reading along in English — “here is the bar” … OK. Their opening hours. OK, got it … wait a minute: NARIKKA?! What does that mean? And suddenly you know that this is actually an insider’s place. Narikka is one of those classic Finnish words that can’t really be translated — well, it can, be not very neatly or nicely, which is why it’s better to just use the Finnish word, which is what the business owners have opted for here.

This is a narikka:

What it means is that you have to pay to check your coat at the door. Usually it’s a fee of something like 2 to 5 euros, and it’s mandatory. It’s part of the Finnish pub tradition, you could say.

But the times are changing, and so is narikka, which apparently is a selling point for this establishment, which is so modern that not only does it use ENGLISH on its window messages, but it doesn’t have a narikka. I love it.