Ablative
The Ablative (ablatiivi) case is part of the internal locative cases. It typically corresponds to the “from” preposition in English, and usually refers to a change or observation of “something going from somewhere externally closeby to outside”. This is not always exact and depends on the context. In Finnish it is indicated by the -lta/-ltä suffix.
Concept
Including, but not limited to:
- When something is going away from a place it is near or around.
- When phrasing or expressing time.
- When using certain (and often perceptional) verbs.
Usage
When something is going away from a place it is near or around
The Ablative (-lta/-ltä) locative case often corresponds to the Adessive locative case (-lla/-llä) in that something goes away from a place it is near or around.
| Word | Translation | Example | Example translated |
|---|---|---|---|
Talo | House | Talolta, taloilta | From around the house(s) |
Kaappi | Cupboard | Kaapilta, kaapeilta | From around the cupboard(s) |
Laatikko | Box | Laatikolta, laatikoilta | From around the box(es) |
Kauppa | Store | Kaupalta, kaupoilta | From around the store(s) |
Auto | Car | Autolta, autoilta | From around the car(s) |
When phrasing or expressing time
To identify at what time something happens the Ablative case is used. This is only used for half or full hours and only between 1-12.
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
Kello yhdeltä | At 1.00 |
Kello kahdeksalta | At 8.00 |
Puoli kahdeltatoista | At half 12 (11:30) |
More examples of the Ablative usage when expressing time can be found from the Telling the time page.
When using certain verbs
Often when giving an opinion that relates to one’s senses or perceptions the Ablative locative case is used.
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
Ruoka maistuu hyvältä | The food tastes good |
Se haisee pahalta | It smells bad |
He näyttävät surullisilta | They look sad |
Formation
When words end in a single vowel
Words that end in a single vowel of -a/-ä, -o/-ö or -u/-y simply add the -lta/-ltä suffix.
| Word | Conjugation |
|---|---|
Auto | Autolta |
Pöytä | Pöydältä |
Sänky | Sängyltä |
When words end in -e
Words that end in -e acquire a second -e before adding the -lta/-ltä suffix.
| Word | Conjugation |
|---|---|
Parveke | Parvekkeelta |
Tampere | Tampereelta |
Tie | Tieltä |
When words end in -nen
Words that end in -nen change to -se before adding the -lta/-ltä suffix.
| Word | Conjugation |
|---|---|
Kivinen | Kiviseltä |
Punainen | Punaiselta |
Ykkönen | Ykköseltä |
New Finnish words
New Finnish words typically look or sound like words in other languages. They perhaps most commonly seem to resemble English words. These words simply add the -lta/-ltä suffix.
| Word | Conjugation |
|---|---|
Pankki | Pankilta |
Bussi | Bussilta |
Kioski | Kioskilta |
Old Finnish words
Old Finnish words that end in -i change to -e before adding the -lta/-ltä suffix.
| Word | Conjugation |
|---|---|
Helmi | Helmeltä |
Kylki | Kyljeltä |
Talvi | Talvelta |
Old Finnish words ending in -si
Old Finnish words that end in -si change to -de before adding the -lta/-ltä suffix.
| Word | Conjugation |
|---|---|
Uusi | Uudelta |
Kuukausi | Kuukaudelta |
Vuosi | Vuodelta |