As written in the title, I don’t know what the word “Sisu” is / means. I’ve been finding it on Duolingo for a while and I’ve been wondering about it for a while. I looked online but couldn’t find anything clear so I wanted to ask here if anyone could help me. Btw i love your country
by GravStark
21 comments
Finding the meaning of a word is something for Google.
Brand of breath freshener
“Grit” is a somewhat similar translation… really hard to explain, it’s a working mindset where you don’t give up, taken to the extreme
Sisu is the essence of being finnish.
It’s like courage but Finnish
Guts, bravery bordering on foolhardiness, stubbornness, a scepticism towards your leaders and a loyalty towards your leaders. All rolled into one.
Sisu is having guts, perseverance, courage, grit and just this pure energy and willpower to get through anything
Edit: Thanks to everyone who is responding, now I’m starting to get a more precise idea.
A stubborn perseverance; not giving in.
There’s a Finnish film named ‘Sisu’. I guess that film is somewhat related to the word.
To add to other replies: it also has the undertone of being stubborn. I don’t have to like it but I’ll do it anyway. If I said I’ll do something I will do it even if it kills me.
It’s not about giving something a fair try and then giving up, it’s about banging your head against a wall until the wall gives up.
And for some reason it’s still a positive word!
It was on Reddit already
https://preview.redd.it/veufciybdvcc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=255abd06e435179b86dff0aff7fee103cbc8f9cc
Sisu begins where hope ends. It’s refusing to give up. I’d recommend watching the 2022 movie “SISU” for further reference. It’s just awesome.
If you are willing to learn more about sisu, theres a [wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisu?wprov=sfla1) about it.
It is something what you present when you do not give up against all the odds, even when everything is clearly fucked you still manage get through, even when the source of motivation is not seen anymore, and the destiny is unknown. It is just the feeling that for some reason it needs to be done no matter what. The best part is that it really does not need explanation. It is just knowed and aproved. It stands exclusively right in the moment. I call it love for the very deep of human nature between the woods, see and the sky.
Impassive, stoicism basically sums it up
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aimo_Koivunen this man is the first thing that popped into my head lol but jokes aside, “sisu” is a Finnish term that hardly translates, closest word I can think of would be perseverance
Stoicism.
It means stoicism.
Can we stop with this whole ‘it’s too unique to be translated’ nonsense?
It means stoicism.
You may need to watch the movie “sisu” perchance.
From the movie Sisu: “Sisu starts when the last spark of hope has been doused.” It’s perseverance in a hopeless situation.
Sisu is best translated as: Someone who is like John Wick. He is a man of … you can say the long list or just say he has sisu.