Английская Википедия:Finnish noun cases
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Cleanup lang Шаблон:Wiktionary Finnish nominals, which include pronouns, adjectives, and numerals, are declined in a large number of grammatical cases, whose uses and meanings are detailed here. See also Finnish grammar.
Many meanings expressed by case markings in Finnish correspond to phrases or expressions containing prepositions in most Indo-European languages. Because so much information is coded in Finnish through its cases, the use of adpositions (postpositions in this case) is more limited than in English, for instance.
List of Finnish cases
Note regarding the examples: Finnish has no grammatical gender nor definite and indefinite articles. Thus, context may be required to get an accurate translation.
Case | Suffix | English prep. | Example | Translation |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grammatical | ||||
Nominative | - | Шаблон:Lang | House is an easy word. | |
Genitive | Шаблон:Lang | - Шаблон:Lang | Шаблон:Lang | I don't like this house's colour / the colour of this house. |
Accusative | - or Шаблон:Lang | - (object, whole) | Шаблон:Lang | I'll paint the house. Help me paint the house! |
Partitive | Шаблон:Lang | - (object, part/incomplete) | Шаблон:Lang | I'm painting the house. |
Locative (internal) | ||||
Inessive | Шаблон:Lang | in | Шаблон:Lang | I live in the house. |
Elative | Шаблон:Lang | from (inside) | Шаблон:Lang | Get out of my house! |
Illative | Шаблон:Lang etc. | into | Шаблон:Lang | I'm going (in)to his/her house. |
Locative (external) | ||||
Adessive | Шаблон:Lang | at, on | Шаблон:Lang | See you at the house! |
Ablative | Шаблон:Lang | from | Шаблон:Lang | I walked from [one] house to another. |
Allative | Шаблон:Lang | to (outside), onto | Шаблон:Lang | When will you be arriving to the house? |
Essive | ||||
Essive | Шаблон:Lang | as | Шаблон:Lang | Are you using this shack as a house? |
Translative | Шаблон:Lang | into (transformation) | Шаблон:Lang | I'll turn it into a house. |
Marginal | ||||
Instructive | Шаблон:Lang | with, using | Шаблон:Lang | They passed on their message with (using) the houses they built. |
Abessive | Шаблон:Lang | without | Шаблон:Lang | It's difficult to live without a house. |
Comitative | Шаблон:Lang | together (with) | Шаблон:Lang | He appears to be wealthy, with the numerous houses he has. |
Grammatical cases
The grammatical cases perform core linguistic functions such as signaling who initiates an action or the object of an action.
Nominative
The basic form of the noun.
- Characteristic ending: none in the singular
- Шаблон:Lang = 'a/the house'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'a/the book'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'a/the hill'
- Шаблон:Lang = '(the) water'
Genitive
Characteristic ending: Шаблон:Lang possibly modified by consonant gradation: Шаблон:Lang. For the nouns and adjectives that have two vowel stems, the weak vowel stem comes from the genitive singular.
- The genitive indicates possession. It is also used preceding postpositions. However, it is homophonous (but not cognate) to the accusative, which may cause some confusion.
- Шаблон:Lang = 'the pictures in the book'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'the walls of the house'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'on top of the hill'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'under water'
- Finnish also uses possessive affixes together with the genitive case
- Шаблон:Lang = 'her/his house(s)'
Accusative
This case marks direct objects. The accusative indicates telicity; that is, the object has been finalized or the intended action is done. Note that a morphologically distinct accusative case exists in Finnish only for the personal pronouns and the personal interrogative pronoun:
- Singular
- Шаблон:Lang = me
- Шаблон:Lang = you
- Шаблон:Lang = you (polite)
- Шаблон:Lang = him/her/it/them
- Plural
- Шаблон:Lang = us
- Шаблон:Lang = you
- Шаблон:Lang = them
- Question
- Шаблон:Lang = whom
In contrast, nouns, adjectives, numerals, and other pronouns, do not have a distinct accusative case. Instead, singular direct objects look like the genitive in direct address (Шаблон:Lang "I'll bring the carpet") and in the nominative with both imperatives (Шаблон:Lang "Bring the carpet!") and passives (Шаблон:Lang "The carpet has been brought"). Plural direct objects always appear in the nominative plural.
Traditionally, Finnish grammars have considered, on syntactic grounds, the accusative to be a case unto itself, despite its appearing identical to the nominative or genitive case. The recently published major Finnish grammar Iso suomen kielioppi takes a morphological point of view and does not list the accusative except for the personal pronouns and Шаблон:Lang, while at the same time acknowledging the argument for the traditional view. The existence or nonexistence of an accusative case in Finnish thus depends on one's point of view. Historically, the similarity of the accusative and genitive endings is coincidental. The older accusative ending was -m, but in modern Finnish an m has become an n when it is the last sound of a word.
Partitive
Characteristic ending: Шаблон:Lang, where the 't' elides if intervocalic. The consonant stem of a noun (if any) comes from the partitive singular. Otherwise the ending is added to the strong vowel stem.
- The basic meaning of this case is a lack of telicity, that is, it is not indicated whether the intended result has been achieved. For example, Join vettä "I drank water-part." indicates that there is possibly some water left, while the accusative Join veden indicates all water has been consumed. It is not perfectivity. The partitive is the second most common case in Finnish. It has also other uses:
- After numerals, except number 1:
- Шаблон:Lang = 'three houses'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'two children'
- For incomplete actions and ongoing processes whose ending or end result is unknown (the partitive object):
- Шаблон:Lang = "I'm reading a book"
- Шаблон:Lang = "s/he was teaching me to read"
- Шаблон:Lang = "I love you"
- Шаблон:Lang = "I thought about tomorrow"
- With nouns of indefinite number or substance nouns (the partitive object):
- Шаблон:Lang = "do you have any books?"
- Шаблон:Lang = "I want some water"
- For negative statements and for tentative inquiries (the partitive object):
- Шаблон:Lang = "there is not a book in the house"
- Шаблон:Lang = "I didn't see him/her"
- Шаблон:Lang = "can I borrow the book?"
- With prepositions
- Шаблон:Lang = "before the hill"
- Шаблон:Lang = "without a coat"
- Very rarely indicates location (coming from/ being found somewhere):
- Шаблон:Lang = "closer to the shore"
- Шаблон:Lang = "further west"
The formation of the partitive plural is rather variable, but the basic principle is to add '-i-' to the inflecting stem, followed by the '-(t)a' partitive ending. However, in a similar way to verb imperfects, the '-i-' can cause changes to the final vowel of the stem, leading to an apparent diversity of forms.
Locative cases
The most prototypical function of locative cases is to indicate location, as the name suggests. However, they are also used in a range of syntactic constructions, much like prepositions in Indo-European languages (e.g. We're *at* school vs. We're good *at* math, in which only the first at has a locative meaning). In Finnish, the suffix -lla as a locative means "on (top)", but may function to code the idea of "being used as an instrument", e.g. Шаблон:Lang "I write with a pen" (lit. 'I write pen-on').
Two different kinds of suffixes are used, the internal locatives (-s-) and the external locatives (-l-).
The word in a locative case refers to the verb, for example, in Шаблон:Lang the word Шаблон:Lang "in the window" refers to the verb Шаблон:Lang "I try on", not to the adjacent noun Шаблон:Lang "pants". The sentence reads out as "I'm in the window, trying on pants". However, in context due to the instrumental nature of the window and the word order, the sentence stands for "I'm trying on pants (on display) in the window".
Internal locatives
Inessive
Characteristic ending Шаблон:Lang added to the weak vowel stem.
- The first of the six so-called "local" cases, which as their basic meaning correspond to locational prepositions in English. The inessive carries the basic meaning "inside" or "in"
- Шаблон:Lang = "in the house"
- It is also commonplace to indicate time or immediate contact with the inessive
- Шаблон:Lang = "in December"
- Шаблон:Lang = "on the Christmas tree"
Elative
Characteristic ending Шаблон:Lang added to the weak vowel stem.
- The second of the local cases, with the basic meaning of "coming out from inside" or "out of"
- Шаблон:Lang = "(he) came out of the house"
- Like the inessive, the elative can also be used to indicate time or immediate contact. Can also indicate origin or cause.
- Шаблон:Lang = "since last Christmas"
- Шаблон:Lang = "get out of the bed"
- Шаблон:Lang = "made of wool"
- Шаблон:Lang = "green with envy"
Illative
The ending is usually -Vn, where V indicates the preceding vowel of the stem. Singular forms use the strong stem form. In cases where the genitive stem already ends in a long vowel the ending is -seen (singular) and -siin (plural). However, for words of one syllable the ending is always -hVn and this form is also used in plural forms where the plural stem already contains a vowel (other than i ) immediately before the plural i.
- Some dialects, such as Pohjanmaa, use the -hVn more generally.
- This is the third of the local cases, with the basic meaning "into"
- Шаблон:Lang = "(he) went into the house" - regular formation from Шаблон:Lang -Vn
- Шаблон:Lang = "into the water" - regular formation from Шаблон:Lang, strong singular stem vete- -Vn
- Шаблон:Lang = "into the waters" - regular formation from Шаблон:Lang, plural stem vesi- -Vn
- Шаблон:Lang = "to the moon" - single syllable variation -hVn
- Шаблон:Lang = "to London" - long vowel stem variation from Шаблон:Lang (London) -seen
- Шаблон:Lang = "into the beautiful house" -Шаблон:Lang has singular stem -kaunii- therefore -seen variation
- Шаблон:Lang = "into the beautiful houses" - plural -siin because of singular -seen and plural -hVn due to the additional vowel i in the plural stem "taloi"
- The illative can also indicate close contact, time or cause
- Шаблон:Lang = "until tomorrow" (from Шаблон:Lang)
- Шаблон:Lang = "until spring" (from Шаблон:Lang)
- Шаблон:Lang = "one can die of cold"
- Шаблон:Lang = "the reason for, the cause of something"
External locatives
Adessive
Characteristic ending -lla/-llä added to the weak vowel stem.
- The fourth of the local cases, with the basic meaning 'on top of' or 'in close proximity of'
- Шаблон:Lang = "on the hill"
- Шаблон:Lang = "at the door"
- Adessive is also used with the verb 'olla' to indicate possession
- Шаблон:Lang = "I have a book"
- It can also indicate time, instrument, means or way
- Шаблон:Lang = "in the morning"
- Шаблон:Lang = "in the winter" (but note Шаблон:Lang = "last winter")
- Шаблон:Lang = "by bus"
- Шаблон:Lang = "with a hammer"
- Шаблон:Lang = "to walk on tiptoe/ on one's toes"
- The adessive is very commonly used in a way that is equivalent to the Swedish preposition "med" (or English "with"), but this is traditionally deprecated as ungrammatical
- Шаблон:Lang = "we do not know with certainty" (cf. Swedish "med säkerhet")
- Шаблон:Lang = "with love" (as a letter closing or greeting)
- Шаблон:Lang = "pancakes with jam"
Ablative
Characteristic ending Шаблон:Lang added to the weak vowel stem.
- The fifth of the local cases, with the basic meaning "from off of" - a poor English equivalent, but necessary to distinguish it from "from out of", which would be elative.
- Шаблон:Lang = "from (off) the hill"
- Шаблон:Lang = "(I) got up from the sofa"
- Шаблон:Lang = "Liisa got the book from me"
- The ablative can also indicate time and it can be used to convey information about qualities
- Шаблон:Lang = "at eight (o'clock)"
- Шаблон:Lang = (freely:) "she has a pleasant appearance"
Allative
Characteristic ending Шаблон:Lang added to the weak vowel stem.
- The sixth of the local cases, with the basic meaning "onto".
- Шаблон:Lang = "onto the hill"
- Another meaning is "to someone" or "for someone" (the grammatical role served by the dative case in many other languages)
- Шаблон:Lang = "I give the book to Liisa"
- Шаблон:Lang = "a table for two"
- Шаблон:Lang = "it is important to me"
- With verbs of sensation, it is possible to use either the ablative or allative case
- Шаблон:Lang = "(it) smells good"
"General locatives" and other cases
The name "general locatives" is sometimes used of the essive and translative cases (as well as partitive above) because their oldest meanings imply that they have been used to indicate location.
Essive
Characteristic ending -na. If the noun or adjective has two vowel stems, the strong vowel stem comes from the essive singular. NB the consonant stem used to be quite common in the essive, and some nouns and adjectives still have this feature.
- This case sometimes carries the meaning of a temporary state of being, often equivalent to the English "as a ...", or of something being expressed in terms of another thing
- Шаблон:Lang = "as a child", "when (I) was a child"
- Шаблон:Lang = "as water"
- Шаблон:Lang = "in small pieces"
- Шаблон:Lang = "How much is five Euros in Dollars?"
- Шаблон:Lang = "it is full"
- The essive is also used for the time when something takes place, but not for clock time:
- Шаблон:Lang = "tomorrow"
- Шаблон:Lang = "on Monday"
- Шаблон:Lang = "on the 6th of December" (Finnish independence day).
- Шаблон:Lang = "this year"
- Шаблон:Lang = "this morning"
(Note that for months, the inessive case is used instead)
- In ancient Finnish, essive had a locative sense, which can still be seen in some words, one special case being words expressing comparative location:
- Шаблон:Lang = "at home" (koto being an archaic form of koti, still current in some dialects)
- Шаблон:Lang = "outside; out of doors"
- Шаблон:Lang = "behind (something)"
- Шаблон:Lang = "nearer"
- Шаблон:Lang = "closer to the shore"
- Шаблон:Lang = "further west"
Translative
Characteristic ending -ksi added to the weak vowel stem. The ending is -kse- before a possessive suffix.
- This is the counterpart of the essive, with the basic meaning of a change of state. Examples:
- Шаблон:Lang = "paint it red"
- Шаблон:Lang = "I feel tired".
- Шаблон:Lang = "it turned into water"
- Also has a meaning similar to English "for a ..."
- "mäki on englanniksi 'hill'" = (literally:) "'hill' is English for mäki"
- Шаблон:Lang = "for the time being", "for now"
- Шаблон:Lang = "plans for Friday"
- Шаблон:Lang = "ready by Friday"
- Шаблон:Lang = "what do you do for a living?"
- Rarely indicates location (going somewhere):
- Шаблон:Lang = "(moving) nearer to"
- Шаблон:Lang = "closer to the shore"
- Шаблон:Lang = "further west"
Instructive
Characteristic ending -n added usually (but not always) to plural stem.
- This has the basic meaning of "by means of". It is a comparatively rarely used case, mostly used in fixed expressions and with a very few exceptions always in the plural.
- Шаблон:Lang = "with (my) own eyes"
- Шаблон:Lang = "by hand"
- Шаблон:Lang = "decorated with jewels"
- Шаблон:Lang = "side by side"
- Шаблон:Lang = "by foot"
- Many common adverbs have the form of a word in the instructive case, but these have developed into independent words
- Шаблон:Lang = "rarely"
- Шаблон:Lang = "well"
- Шаблон:Lang = "thus"
- The instructive also occurs in some fixed phrases in an adverbial sense
- Шаблон:Lang = "on average"
- Шаблон:Lang = "in low spirits"
- It is also used with verbal second infinitives to mean "by ...ing", for example
- Шаблон:Lang = "by flying", "by air"
Abessive
Characteristic ending -tta.
- This has the basic meaning of "without". This case is rarely used by itself, especially in the spoken language, but is found in some expressions and proverbs.
- Шаблон:Lang = "who grows up without discipline, dies without honor"
- However, abessive is quite common in combination with the third infinitive (-ma-, -mä-).
- Шаблон:Lang = "without eating"
- Шаблон:Lang = "without doing"
- Шаблон:Lang = "without taking into account..."
Comitative
Characteristic ending -ne (plus a possessive suffix for nouns but none for adjectives). This ending is added to the plural stem, even if the noun is singular, which may cause ambiguity.
- This is a rarely used case, especially in the spoken language. The meaning is "in the company of" or "together with"
- Шаблон:Lang = "the house with its books" or "book"
- Шаблон:Lang = "he arrived together with his beautiful wife" or "wives"
Others
Prolative
The prolative is almost exclusively found in a few fossilised forms in modern Finnish and is therefore not usually considered a living noun case (it is more common in Estonian but not considered a case there either). Its meaning is "by way of", some common examples being
- Шаблон:Lang = 'by post'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'by phone'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'by sea'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'by indirect route', or 'in a roundabout way'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'over'
- Шаблон:Lang = 'past me'
The Finnish locative system
The Finnish language has eight locative cases, and some Eastern dialects symmetrify the system with the exessive case. These can be classified according to a three-way contrast of entering, residing in, and exiting a state, and there are three different systems of these cases. This system is similar to that of Estonian, and can be reconstructed to the Proto-Finnic locative system.
System | Entering | Residing in | Exiting |
---|---|---|---|
Inner | -(h)Vn "into" (illative) | -ssa "in" (inessive) | -sta "(out) from" (elative) |
Outer | -lle "onto" (allative) | -lla "on" (adessive) | -lta "(away) from" (ablative) |
State | -ksi "into as" (translative) | -na "as" (essive) | -nta "from being as" (exessive) |
(The symbol "V" in the illative case denotes an epenthetic vowel, which is the preceding vowel in Finnish, e.g. tie → tiehen, and the -h- elides between two short vowels, e.g. ryhmä → ryhmähän → ryhmään.)
It is immediately noticeable from the table that the "exiting" forms (sta/lta/nta) have the same consonant as the "residing" forms (ssa/lla/na) added with the Finnish partitive case ending -ta. This may be traced into a Proto-Uralic ablative ending, which is preserved in what is now the partitive case. Also, the Finnish system is somewhat simpler than in the Hungarian language, where there is a separate system for "to the top", "on top", and "off from the top".
The exessive case is not used in standard Finnish, but it is found in Savo Finnish and Karelian.
Further reading
External links
- Cases in Finnish, at Web resources on the Finnish language; by Jukka "Yucca" Korpela (2014).