Directing Behavior: The Allative Case
When describing how someone behaves toward another person, Finnish adjectives often govern a specific case. For adjectives of interpersonal attitude—like being rude, helpful, or impatient—the person receiving the behavior takes the allative case (-lle).
While English uses a variety of prepositions depending on the word (rude to, impatient with, angry at), Finnish consistently uses the allative case to show who the attitude is directed toward.
| The waiter was really rude to the customer today. | Tarjoilija oli tänään todella töykeä asiakkaalle. |
| Why are you always so impatient with me? | Miksi olet aina niin kärsimätön minulle? |
Positive and Negative Attitudes
Whether you are praising excellent customer service or describing a strict boss, the sentence structure remains exactly the same. You can also easily pair multiple adjectives together before the target noun.
| The doctor has always been helpful and compassionate to patients. | Lääkäri on aina ollut avulias ja myötätuntoinen potilaille. |
| The new manager is too strict with the subordinates. | Uusi johtaja on liian ankara alaisille. |
| The teacher is very gentle and understanding to the students. | Opettaja on hyvin lempeä ja ymmärtäväinen opiskelijoille. |
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