Using Google Translate To Understand Email in Finnish

On Saturday (04 Mar 2017), I sent an email in English to a cousin in Finland wishing her a happy 70th birthday.

On Monday, I received the following reply:

Rakkaat sukulaiseni Wally Huskonen js James _______ siellä Ameriikassa.

Suuret kiitokseni 70 vuotis päiväni muistamisesta ja onnentoivotuksista. Varmaankin sisareni Heli on siitä Teille viestitellyt.
pyydän välittämään tervehdykseni kaikille sukulaisilleni sinne meren taakse.

Asun mieheni Mikon kanssa kulttuuripitäjä Tuusulassa. Laitan Teille juhlapäivän kuvia, kunhan ne valmistuvat.

Vielä kerran lämpimät kiitokseni kun muistitte minua.

I don’t read Finnish, so I turned to Google Translate to understand what my cousin was saying in her message.  Here is the Google Translate translation:

Dear relatives Wally Huskonen js [and] James _______ there for [in] America.

Big thanks to [for] the 70-year remembrance of my day and good wishes. Probably sister Heli is about you viestitellyt [has corresponded]. I call forward my greetings to all my relatives in the back of the sea [across the Atlantic].

I live with my husband Mikko [who is the] cultural officer in Tuusula.

I’ll put you [post to you] feast day images, [birthday photos] as long [as soon as] as they are completed. Once again, my warmest thanks to you remembered me.

Not a perfect translation, but understandable.  And it is available as fast as typing Google Translate into your browser, then copying and pasting the Finnish or other language text into the translate window.  When you hit return, up pops Google’s best effort at translation. It’s that quick and easy.

Wait! There’s more! If you use web-based Gmail, there is a button to click on to instantly translate your foreign language email message into English.

Thank you Google Translate.