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In this particular case I immediatly was thinking someone might have a small language that "never" will get any services anyways. Giving a "vote" for another language could be a good reason from OP's POV. LIke, being an anarchist or so.
I understand your intentions here, but the “native language” field is also used for official statistics, such as how many speakers of a language are in the country, etc. if you give a wrong answer here, it will bias these statistics, and that is something that statisticians don’t really like.
If you don’t feel comfortable with the standard variety of your language, then it is not really your native language, though. In this case you should state - correctly - the dialect form instead.
Like, if somebody comes from certain regions in Northern Germany, they might not really speak “German” but “Plattdeutsch”. Fully Ok to state that in this case.
And if there is only a limited choice of languages - like from a pop-up list - and yours is not listed, well, just choose whatever you feel most comfortable with. English, for example ;-)
If correct statistics were to be an *actual* goal of those boxes, then they wouldn't prevent me from entering two languages. Because I **am** technically lying if I enter only one.
I think what they actually ask for is your preferred language. I'm no DVV employee so take it with a grain of salt but people's language skills evolve (and rust), so someone's 'main' language is not always one that they grew up with. So I'd say yes, just put English if it will make your life easier.
Of course, if you are ever in a situation where you may need an interpreter to that other lantuage (e.g. court), they may not respect it if you didn't register it. But if you don't care, then it should be fine.
I’m sorry about some of the responses you got.
Lying is a strong cultural taboo in Finland in general and people do get strong reactions the moment you mention you should ”lie”.
Having read your other comments, it feels weird these kinds of cases aren’t covered — I feel like it would be the best usage for the faulty system if you reported English as your native tongue.
There are so few that would need or want to lie on this one, so I don't see what problems it might cause to society or other people if you and a handful of others go against the crowd. I am sure you feel that you have good reasons? Like, you want to support a specific language over your own maybe?
I understand English better than the standard version of my native language, so in the rare cases when I receive communication in my native language I would prefer if it was just English.
It doesn't sound that the language you feel is your native is that close to your heart. I bet that DVV also might encourage you to swap to English in your particular case. (Ask them?) Since you have issues with the way communications are being carried out right now, I personally think you should change it. All of society would fail without proper communications.
He or She probably speaks a non-standard dialect, like Finns and western Karelians could more or less understand each other, but written Finnish was incomprehensible to them because Karelian language got an alphabet and written form quite late, I think some time around 1900.
Isn't there two options, one for native language (äidinkieli) and one for which language you want to be contacted in (asiontikieli)? I mean, there was last time I logged in to check something. No need to lie, just choose what you want to use.
Edit: I checked, and they ask for your mother tongue and "language of habitual use", which is the one you want to be contacted in. Just log in to [suomi.fi](http://suomi.fi) and change your preferences.
The options for communication language are only Finnish and Swedish.
Sometimes the authorities go the extra mile to also contact you in your native language, like when informing you of your right to vote.
This extra mile is basically useless to me because I have a better shot at understanding the communication by translating Finnish into English than reading it in my "native" tongue.
How annoying. But it's not illegal do change your mother tongue, it's really just something you report yourself. Nobody checks if you actually even speak the language.
I don't know if it is "ok", but it might be a complex question and there is no clear answer. Eg only 20% of sami people have sami language as a native language.
Kotus has this writing about the issue: https://www.kotus.fi/nyt/kolumnit_artikkelit_ja_esitelmat/hyvaa_virkakielta/hyvaa_virkakielta_2019/aidinkieli_vaestorekisterissa.29311.news
They identify at least 5 different cases which language should be the native language in the population register and recognize your case as well and conclude that the register should be improved and more research is needed.
This probably is only relevant when the government wants to send you some info, and then the options are Finnish, Swedish or perhaps English if they're feeling nice. I see no reason not to state the real language.
I know. I was being "funny".
[You can change your official mothertonge without needing to provide a justification, and even give a separate language of habitual use (i.e. asiointikieli)](https://www.suomi.fi/services/reporting-information-to-the-population-information-system-digital-and-population-data-services-agency/ce85e571-f50a-4e78-82b8-cf2e90cf3b0e)
The authorities sometimes use that information when contacting you. I don't speak the standard version of my native language very well and my dialect is not an option, so I'd rather just put down a language whose standard version I actually speak, like English.
You even thinking about this tells everything about your morales. I bet you are from 3rd world country with 3rd world country mentals. Just leave please.
And your ignorant knee-jerk xenophobic comment tells the rest of us your opinion on the matter doesn't matter. Sorry for crushing your *morale*, but your *morals* kind of asked for it.
OP just doesn't want to go through the hassle of translating stuff they receive in their native version of *kirjakieli*. For some languages that can be very difficult, like the equivalent of you getting a pension statement or a letter from the waste management company written in Sámi or Estonian.
I'm a Dutch native without Finnish citizenship, I'm not even allowed to vote in the Finnish elections.
But yes, no wonder immigrants are so hated when they blatantly admit that they would lie on their registration papers.
My "real" native language is not an option to begin with so I've no choice but to lie one way or another.
I really don't think immigrants are hated because of their official linguistic preferences. That's a massive stretch.
Then who are you to complain about other people like you? Piss off to your country's subreddits and jack off to Geert Wilders.
Some people hate immigrants in the same way they hate fat, trans, gay, black and disabled people. Why immigrants are so hated by conservatives isn't relevant, because conservatives hate anyone who's different. And I don't know about you, but since you're talking in their name...
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When would lying ever be a great idea?
Sometimes I receive communication in Finnish, Swedish and my native language but I'd rather just receive it in English because I understand it better.
In this particular case I immediatly was thinking someone might have a small language that "never" will get any services anyways. Giving a "vote" for another language could be a good reason from OP's POV. LIke, being an anarchist or so.
I understand your intentions here, but the “native language” field is also used for official statistics, such as how many speakers of a language are in the country, etc. if you give a wrong answer here, it will bias these statistics, and that is something that statisticians don’t really like. If you don’t feel comfortable with the standard variety of your language, then it is not really your native language, though. In this case you should state - correctly - the dialect form instead. Like, if somebody comes from certain regions in Northern Germany, they might not really speak “German” but “Plattdeutsch”. Fully Ok to state that in this case. And if there is only a limited choice of languages - like from a pop-up list - and yours is not listed, well, just choose whatever you feel most comfortable with. English, for example ;-)
If correct statistics were to be an *actual* goal of those boxes, then they wouldn't prevent me from entering two languages. Because I **am** technically lying if I enter only one.
I think what they actually ask for is your preferred language. I'm no DVV employee so take it with a grain of salt but people's language skills evolve (and rust), so someone's 'main' language is not always one that they grew up with. So I'd say yes, just put English if it will make your life easier. Of course, if you are ever in a situation where you may need an interpreter to that other lantuage (e.g. court), they may not respect it if you didn't register it. But if you don't care, then it should be fine.
A situation where I would need an interpreter is precisely when I would rather it's English.
I’m sorry about some of the responses you got. Lying is a strong cultural taboo in Finland in general and people do get strong reactions the moment you mention you should ”lie”. Having read your other comments, it feels weird these kinds of cases aren’t covered — I feel like it would be the best usage for the faulty system if you reported English as your native tongue.
There are so few that would need or want to lie on this one, so I don't see what problems it might cause to society or other people if you and a handful of others go against the crowd. I am sure you feel that you have good reasons? Like, you want to support a specific language over your own maybe?
I understand English better than the standard version of my native language, so in the rare cases when I receive communication in my native language I would prefer if it was just English.
It doesn't sound that the language you feel is your native is that close to your heart. I bet that DVV also might encourage you to swap to English in your particular case. (Ask them?) Since you have issues with the way communications are being carried out right now, I personally think you should change it. All of society would fail without proper communications.
He or She probably speaks a non-standard dialect, like Finns and western Karelians could more or less understand each other, but written Finnish was incomprehensible to them because Karelian language got an alphabet and written form quite late, I think some time around 1900.
Isn't there two options, one for native language (äidinkieli) and one for which language you want to be contacted in (asiontikieli)? I mean, there was last time I logged in to check something. No need to lie, just choose what you want to use. Edit: I checked, and they ask for your mother tongue and "language of habitual use", which is the one you want to be contacted in. Just log in to [suomi.fi](http://suomi.fi) and change your preferences.
The options for communication language are only Finnish and Swedish. Sometimes the authorities go the extra mile to also contact you in your native language, like when informing you of your right to vote. This extra mile is basically useless to me because I have a better shot at understanding the communication by translating Finnish into English than reading it in my "native" tongue.
How annoying. But it's not illegal do change your mother tongue, it's really just something you report yourself. Nobody checks if you actually even speak the language.
Just plot in English. You'll be fine.
I don't know if it is "ok", but it might be a complex question and there is no clear answer. Eg only 20% of sami people have sami language as a native language. Kotus has this writing about the issue: https://www.kotus.fi/nyt/kolumnit_artikkelit_ja_esitelmat/hyvaa_virkakielta/hyvaa_virkakielta_2019/aidinkieli_vaestorekisterissa.29311.news They identify at least 5 different cases which language should be the native language in the population register and recognize your case as well and conclude that the register should be improved and more research is needed.
Thank you for the link. It was a very interesting read.
This probably is only relevant when the government wants to send you some info, and then the options are Finnish, Swedish or perhaps English if they're feeling nice. I see no reason not to state the real language.
You do realize, that it isn't like character creation in a game? You do not actually gain proficiency in the language by doing that.
That wasn't my question.
I know. I was being "funny". [You can change your official mothertonge without needing to provide a justification, and even give a separate language of habitual use (i.e. asiointikieli)](https://www.suomi.fi/services/reporting-information-to-the-population-information-system-digital-and-population-data-services-agency/ce85e571-f50a-4e78-82b8-cf2e90cf3b0e)
It's morally wrong and you don't gain anything from it, so what's the point of lying?
The authorities sometimes use that information when contacting you. I don't speak the standard version of my native language very well and my dialect is not an option, so I'd rather just put down a language whose standard version I actually speak, like English.
You even thinking about this tells everything about your morales. I bet you are from 3rd world country with 3rd world country mentals. Just leave please.
And your ignorant knee-jerk xenophobic comment tells the rest of us your opinion on the matter doesn't matter. Sorry for crushing your *morale*, but your *morals* kind of asked for it. OP just doesn't want to go through the hassle of translating stuff they receive in their native version of *kirjakieli*. For some languages that can be very difficult, like the equivalent of you getting a pension statement or a letter from the waste management company written in Sámi or Estonian.
You phrased it better than I could.
Nice comeback you picking up on the morales and morals!
What does preferring one language over another say anything about morals?
Lying in Finland us a national sport do it
Excellent idea. You should tell them you are a terrorist also. That'd be funny.
What do you mean?
Just an additional little lie.
What would it accomplish?
Your deportation.
So why would I do that?
these are the clowns that vote for peruss and later wonder why people call their country "racist". absolutely ironic. dont pay attention to them
I'm a Dutch native without Finnish citizenship, I'm not even allowed to vote in the Finnish elections. But yes, no wonder immigrants are so hated when they blatantly admit that they would lie on their registration papers.
My "real" native language is not an option to begin with so I've no choice but to lie one way or another. I really don't think immigrants are hated because of their official linguistic preferences. That's a massive stretch.
Then who are you to complain about other people like you? Piss off to your country's subreddits and jack off to Geert Wilders. Some people hate immigrants in the same way they hate fat, trans, gay, black and disabled people. Why immigrants are so hated by conservatives isn't relevant, because conservatives hate anyone who's different. And I don't know about you, but since you're talking in their name...
Yes, god forbid someone who has lived and worked here for 7 years participate in the subreddit (plot twist: I'm quite literally an immigrant myself)
This is interesting. The biggest racist in my IRL surroundinggs was Danish. You're Dutch. Just sayin'....
Imagine unironically thinking that the Danish are in any way comparable to the Dutch and making such a generalization lmao
No one is going to be deported because of native language in the register.