Nouns: Allative Case (onto / to) — Finnish Grammar

This ending sends something onto a surface, or toward the person who receives it: is a table, is onto the table, and the same ending on a person makes them the one given to, told, or called. It is -lle, and alone among the place endings it has a single spelling — nothing about the word changes it.

It sits in the middle of three endings built on the same idea of a surface: on the table, onto the table, off the table. Where English chooses between on, onto and off, Finnish changes two letters at the end of the noun.

Movement Onto or Toward

Laitan kirjan pöydälle.
I put the book onto the table.
Menen torille.
I'm going to the market square.
Istu sohvalle.
Sit down on the sofa.

The Recipient of Giving and Telling

This is the ending for the person who receives - whom you give to, send to, tell, or call. English usually marks this with "to".

Annan lahjan ystävälle.
I give a gift to a friend.

lahja-n the gift — a whole object, so it takes the -n
ystävä-lle the friend — the one receiving, so -lle
two nouns, two different endings, and between them they say who gives what to whom

Soitan äidille.
I'm calling my mother.
Kerroin sen opettajalle.
I told it to the teacher.
Kirjoitan kirjeen sinulle.
I'm writing a letter to you.

With Some Sensory Verbs

A few verbs of perception take the allative to describe the impression something gives.

Tämä tuoksuu hyvälle.
This smells good.

The External Set at a Glance

The allative belongs to the external trio: (on the table), (onto the table), (off the table).

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Finnish course

35 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 37. A few of them, with the words “Nouns: Allative Case (onto / to)” is about in bold:

Ostin tusinan munia ja suklaapatukan myös sinulle.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47
Isäni osti lahjan äidilleni.
My father bought a present for my mother.
Lesson 225
Älkää unohtako juustoa yhteiselle piknikillemme.
Don't forget the cheese for our picnic.
Lesson 477

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