Nouns: Adessive Case (at / on) — Finnish Grammar

This ending puts something on a surface or at a place: is a table, is on the table. It is -lla if the word contains a, o or u, and -llä if it does not.

It does two further jobs that have nothing to do with location, and both are unavoidable in everyday Finnish: it is how the language says you have something, and how it says what you did something with.

On a Surface or At a Place

Kirja on pöydällä.
The book is on the table.

pöydä- the stem — the t of has softened to d
-llä the "on" ending — -lla on a word with a, o or u in it

Tapaamme asemalla.
We'll meet at the station.
Lapset ovat pihalla.
The children are out in the yard.
Asun maalla.
I live in the countryside.

The "have" Construction

Finnish has no verb "to have". Possession is expressed with this ending plus - literally "on me there is…". This is the standard, everyday way to talk about what you own or feel.

Minulla on koira.
I have a dog. (literally "on me is a dog")
Sinulla on kaunis koti.
You have a beautiful home.
Onko sinulla nälkä?
Are you hungry? (literally "is there hunger on you?")

Means and Instrument

The adessive names the means or instrument by which something is done - by car, with a pen, on foot.

Menen kouluun bussilla.
I go to school by bus.
Kirjoitan kynällä.
I write with a pen.
Maksan kortilla.
I pay by card.

Time Expressions

Many time expressions use the adessive, especially seasons and parts of the day.

Kesällä on lämmin.
In summer it is warm.
Aamulla juon teetä.
In the morning I drink tea.

The External Set at a Glance

The three external cases share the "on/at a surface" idea in three directions: (on the table), (onto the table), (off the table).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Finnish course

70 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 21. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Adessive Case (at / on)” is about in bold:

Minulla on kaksi autoa, kaksi polkupyörää ja kolme moottoripyörää.
I have two cars, two bicycles, and three motorbikes.
Lesson 33
Hei, tohtori. Minulla on ongelma.
Hello, Doctor. I have a problem.
Lesson 91
Hänellä on hidas, halpa auto.
She has a slow, cheap car.
Lesson 110

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