A1 Finnish GrammarBasic Prepositions
Learn essential Finnish postpositions and prepositions for location and time. Unlike English, Finnish mostly uses postpositions (after the noun) and case endings instead of prepositions. Master the local cases and common location words.
1Finnish Uses Cases Instead of Prepositions
Finnish primarily uses case endings (suffixes) instead of prepositions for location. The main local cases are: inessive (-ssa/-ssä = in), elative (-sta/-stä = from), and illative (-an/-en/-iin = into/to). This is very different from English.
Local Cases
| Case | Ending | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| inessive | -ssa/-ssä | in, at | talossa (in the house) |
| elative | -sta/-stä | from, out of | talosta (from the house) |
| illative | -an/-en/-iin | into, to | taloon (into the house) |
| adessive | -lla/-llä | on, at | pöydällä (on the table) |
Examples
Olen koulussa.
I am at school.
-ssa = in/at (inessive)
Tulen kaupasta.
I come from the store.
-sta = from (elative)
Menen kotiin.
I go home.
-iin = to (illative)
Kirja on pöydällä.
The book is on the table.
-llä = on (adessive)
2Common Postpositions
Finnish postpositions come AFTER the noun (unlike English prepositions). Common ones include: alla (under), päällä (on top of), edessä (in front of), takana (behind), vieressä (beside). The noun takes genitive case before the postposition.
Location Postpositions
| Finnish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| alla | under | pöydän alla (under the table) |
| päällä | on top of | pöydän päällä (on the table) |
| edessä | in front of | talon edessä (in front of the house) |
| takana | behind | talon takana (behind the house) |
Examples
Kissa on sohvan alla.
The cat is under the sofa.
sohvan (gen.) + alla
Auto on talon edessä.
The car is in front of the house.
talon (gen.) + edessä
Puisto on kirkon takana.
The park is behind the church.
kirkon (gen.) + takana
Istun sinun vieressäsi.
I sit beside you.
vieressä + possessive suffix
3Time Expressions with Cases
Time expressions also use cases in Finnish. Adessive (-lla/-llä) for parts of day and days of week. Essive (-na/-nä) for specific times. 'Kello' (clock) uses basic form for exact times. No prepositions needed.
Time Cases
| Expression | Case Used | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| days of week | essive (-na) | maanantaina | on Monday |
| parts of day | adessive (-lla) | aamulla | in the morning |
| clock time | basic form | kello kaksi | at two o'clock |
| months/years | inessive (-ssa) | tammikuussa | in January |
Examples
Tapaamme maanantaina.
We meet on Monday.
-na ending for 'on' with days
Herään aamulla.
I wake up in the morning.
-lla ending for time of day
Synnyin vuonna 1990.
I was born in 1990.
vuonna = in the year (essive)
Kesällä on lämmintä.
In summer it is warm.
kesällä = in summer (adessive)
4Common Prepositions and Postpositions
A few true prepositions exist: ennen (before), ilman (without). Most location words can be postpositions or prepositions. 'Kanssa' (with) is a common postposition. Learn these essential words for daily communication.
Other Position Words
| Finnish | Position | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| kanssa | postposition | with | sinun kanssasi |
| ilman | preposition | without | ilman sinua |
| ennen | preposition | before | ennen lounasta |
| jälkeen | postposition | after | lounaan jälkeen |
Examples
Tulen sinun kanssasi.
I come with you.
kanssa = with (postposition)
En voi elää ilman sinua.
I cannot live without you.
ilman + partitive = without
Syön ennen töitä.
I eat before work.
ennen + partitive = before
Lähden työn jälkeen.
I leave after work.
genitive + jälkeen = after