What is an Apposition?
An apposition is a noun phrase placed next to another noun to further identify it, like "the gala, a gorgeous event." In formal Finnish, an appositive must always match the grammatical case of the noun it describes.
Matching the Cases
Whether the main noun is in the illative (motion into) or the partitive (often used for objects of ongoing actions), the appositive mirrors its case exactly.
| We are going to the gala, a gorgeous event, to watch celebrities. | Menemme gaalaan, upeaan tapahtumaan, katsomaan julkkiksia. |
| People looked at the woman, a famous actor, in a sparkling evening gown. | Ihmiset katsoivat naista, kuuluisaa näyttelijää, kimaltavassa iltapuvussa. |
This strict case agreement applies across all noun cases, including the allative (-lle, meaning "to") and the genitive (-n).
| The audience gave a big ovation to the host, a popular comedian. | Yleisö antoi suuren suosionosoituksen juontajalle, suositulle koomikolle. |
| The host waved to the admirers, the young fans. | Juontaja vilkutti ihailijoille, nuorille faneille. |
| I saw the celebrity, a famous singer, waving to the audience. | Näin julkkiksen, kuuluisan laulajan, vilkuttavan yleisölle. |
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