# asia, kalu



## the pensive wombat

I have been teaching myself Finnish for a few months. I am definitely a beginner and people on the forums have been very kind to me.

Can someone please explain the difference between *asia * and *kalu *as translation of thing? Yes, I know it is dangerous because *kalu* has the same colloquial meaning as in English - cock, penis! But do you also use *kalu* to translate *object *and do you use *asia *to translate the more abstract stuff, *matter, affair*? I understand that *asiakas *is *customer.*

Kiitos


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## Grumpy Old Man

You give no example sentences. I suppose it is possible to use all those words in a variety of meanings and contexts in some rare cases, but I seldom or never use the word _kalu _on its own. The first word that springs to mind and includes _kalu_ is _työkalu. _

_Asia _is usually something intangible:
_Minun täytyy huolehtia sairaan äitini asioista. _(I have to attend my sick mother's affairs.)
_Ei ole minun asiani huolehtia siitä! _(It's none of my business to see to that!)


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## the pensive wombat

Grumpy Old Man said:


> You give no example sentences. I suppose it is possible to use all those words in a variety of meanings and contexts in some rare cases, but I seldom or never use the word _kalu _on its own. The first word that springs to mind and includes _kalu_ is _työkalu. _
> 
> _Asia _is usually something intangible:
> _Minun täytyy huolehtia sairaan äitini asioista. _(I have to attend my sick mother's affairs.)
> _Ei ole minun asiani huolehtia siitä! _(It's none of my business to see to that!)




Thanks. That is helpful. I didn't have any examples; it was a general question.


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## Spongiformi

Gather your things and get going!

_Kerää kamasi/tavarasi/rojusi ja lähde menemään!_

_"Kama"_ can also refer to drugs, though. _"Roju"_ would be derogative (junk).

Nobody would use _"kalusi"_ in this case, either. Like GOM said, under normal, non-sexual, circumstances it's pretty much used only in compound words such as _"työkalu"_, which is an official and all the time used word.


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## the pensive wombat

Thanks, Spongiform and GOM. At my level of knowledge I should stick to *​asia.*


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## Gavril

To what extent can _asia_ be used for a tangible thing?

E.g., if two people were playing a guessing game, would it be normal for one person to say, "Oikeassa kädessäni on kaksi pientä, vihreää asiaa ..."?


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## Grumpy Old Man

I wouldn't use it. I would say _kaksi esinettä._


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## Spongiformi

I agree. Although if somebody said that in the middle of a game, I doubt it would baffle anybody and would be very understandable.

As a reference it would be natural, even if it referred to very tangible things: "_On kaksi asiaa, joista en luopuisi: oma auto ja oma talo._" It could be the same even if the things weren't tangible. "_On kaksi asiaa, joista en luopuisi: vapaus ja suoraselkäisyys._"


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