---
title: "The sauna, and the etiquette nobody will explain to you"
type: "situation"
situation: "The sauna"
cluster: "social"
url: "https://finnishirl.com/situations/sauna"
canonical: "https://finnishirl.com/situations/sauna"
author: "Andrey the Nomad"
site: "Finnish IRL"
license: "https://finnishirl.com/terms#ip"
---

# The sauna, and the etiquette nobody will explain to you

URL: https://finnishirl.com/situations/sauna

Situation: The sauna.

There are rules, none of them are posted, and breaking them is more embarrassing than any word you could mispronounce.

## The short version
- Löyly is the burst of steam off the stones, not the sauna itself. Asking for more löyly is the one phrase worth having.
- Ask before you throw water. Someone else may be at their limit, and it is a shared room.
- Wash before, sit on a towel, leave whenever you like. There is no minimum and nobody keeps score.

## The load-bearing three
- Saaks heittää? (written: Saako heittää?) - Can I throw some water on?. When: ask before you do. Safe for anyone to say.
- Lisää löylyä? - More steam?. When: offering, not demanding. Safe for anyone to say.
- Riittää mulle. (written: Riittää minulle.) - That's enough for me.. When: the polite exit. Casual - fine once you know people.

## Around it
- Mennään saunaan. - Let's go to the sauna.. When: the invitation. Safe for anyone to say.
- Onks sauna lämmin? (written: Onko sauna lämmin?) - Is the sauna hot yet?. When: the practical question. Safe for anyone to say.
- Käydään uimassa. - Let's go for a swim.. When: between rounds, all year. Safe for anyone to say.
- Kippis! - Cheers!. When: the beer after. Safe for anyone to say.

## What you will hear
- Hyvät löylyt. - Good steam.. When: a genuine compliment to the host. Safe for anyone to say.
- Vielä yks. (written: Vielä yksi.) - One more.. When: another round. Casual - fine once you know people.
- Ei jaksa enää. - I can't do any more.. When: and nobody argues. Safe for anyone to say.

## The move that gives you away
Don't: Do not treat the sauna as a conversation venue you have to fill, and do not ask whether you should keep your swimsuit on in a way that makes it a whole discussion.
Do: Follow whatever the host does, sit down, and let the silence be.
Why: The sauna is where Finnish small talk actually happens, but it starts on its own and it starts slowly. Arriving with questions is the one way to stop it.

## Same thing, three registers
- Written: Saisinko heittää lisää vettä kiukaalle?
- Spoken: Saaks heittää?
- Casual: Lisää löylyä?
The written version is comically formal for a room where nobody is wearing anything. Two words is the register.

## A round in the sauna
Isäntä: No niin. Käykää sisään. - Right then. In you go.
Sä: Onks tää tarpeeks lämmin? - Is it hot enough?
Isäntä: Kohta on. Saaks heittää? - It will be. Shall I throw some on?
Sä: Joo, heitä vaan. - Yeah, go ahead.
Isäntä: Hyvät löylyt. - Good steam.
Sä: Tosi hyvät. Mut riittää mulle. - Really good. But that's enough for me.

## Questions people ask
**Do Finns talk in the sauna?** Sometimes, and slowly. It is one of the places small talk genuinely happens, but it starts on its own after a while rather than immediately, and silence in between is comfortable.

**What do you wear in a Finnish sauna?** In a private or family sauna, usually nothing, and it is not sexual or awkward to Finns. Mixed groups of friends and public saunas vary - follow the host, and a towel to sit on is universal.

**How long should I stay in?** As long as you like. There is no endurance test being scored, and leaving early is completely ordinary. Ei jaksa enää is a complete explanation.

**What is a vihta or vasta?** A bundle of birch twigs used to whisk yourself in the sauna. Vihta in the west, vasta in the east, and Finns will happily argue about which word is correct.