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.
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.