Laulaja

Laulaja is a Finnish noun that means “singer.” It refers to a person who sings and can denote someone who sings professionally or simply as a hobby. The word is formed from the verb laulaa, meaning “to sing,” with the agentive suffix -ja, a common pattern for occupational nouns in Finnish. In standard usage, laulaja is inflected like a regular noun: nominative plural laulajat, genitive laulajien, partitive laulajia, and so on.

In Finnish, laulaja is often used in compound terms to specify a type of singer, such as oopperalaulaja (opera singer), poplaulaja (pop singer), kamarilaulaja (chamber singer), and laulaja-ammatti when referring to the profession in a broader sense. The word appears across media, education, and everyday speech, where it can describe both celebrated artists and amateurs. For example, one might say: Hän on lahjakas laulaja, meaning “She/He is a talented singer.”

Laulaja is the standard, neutral term for a person who sings and does not imply a particular genre or level of fame. It is a common entry in Finnish dictionaries and is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence. The cognate forms exist in related Finnic languages, and the word is part of everyday vocabulary for discussing voice, performance, and music. See also related terms such as laulutaito (singing ability) and erilainen laululyhen, for broader context on singing in Finnish language and culture.