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3. Local Cases: Summary

In Finnish, there are six local cases which indicate direction or location.

The choice of the ending varies depending on the place; is it indoors or outdoors.
In these series of pictures, you can see the basic idea of the local case system.


When choosing a local case ending you need to consider two aspects.

  • Firstly, you need to figure out the direction of the movement:
    is it static being in somewhere, movement from somewhere or movement to somewhere?
  • Secondly, you need to look at the location in question: is it inside of a place or on top of a place? Is it a closed or open space?
    Are we inside the place or close by it?

Depending on the movement the endings come in the series of three.
According to the place in question the local cases are divided into two groups.


in, inside, indoors
on, outside, outdoors
Minne/Mihin? Where to?
 talo-on (in)to the house tori-lle (on)to the market
Missä? Where in/on?
 talo-ssa in the house tori-lla at the market
Mistä? Where from?
 talo-sta from the house tori-lta from the market


The correct choice of the ending Minne/Mihin? Where to? depends on how the word ends.

1. vowel+-n after one vowel:
kauppa - kauppaan shop to the shop
yliopisto - yliopistoon univeristy - to the university
koulu - kouluun school to the school

2. -hVn after two vowels (in short words):
maa - maahan country to the country (cross the country border)
suu - suuhun mouth - (in)to the mouth
töihin to work. 
Note that there is the same vowel before and after h.

3. -seen after two same vowels (in longer words) :
Espoo - Espooseen Espoo to Espoo (cross the city limits)
Lontoo - Lontooseen London to London

Harjoitus - Exercise



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