Here's why:
* Agglutinative structure: Finnish uses a system of adding suffixes to words to create new meanings, often resulting in very long words. This can be challenging to parse and understand.
* Vowel harmony: Finnish has vowel harmony rules that affect how vowels in a word can be combined, which adds another layer of complexity.
* Case system: Finnish has 15 noun cases, which determine the grammatical function of a noun in a sentence. This is far more complex than the case system in English.
* Lack of grammatical genders: While this might seem easier at first, it can actually make it harder to understand how to use articles and adjectives correctly.
* Different sentence structure: Finnish has a subject-object-verb sentence structure, which is different from the subject-verb-object structure in English.
However:
* Finnish is a logical and consistent language. Once you understand the rules, they are generally applied consistently, which can make it easier to learn.
* Finnish has a relatively small vocabulary. While it's true there are many long words, there aren't that many basic words you need to learn compared to some other languages.
* There are many resources available for learners. There are plenty of textbooks, online courses, and language exchange opportunities.
Overall:
While Finnish is considered a difficult language, it's not impossible to learn. With dedication, consistent practice, and the right resources, you can achieve fluency.