Where Something Is, and Where It Goes
At the last lesson you learned to say where something is: alla (under), takana (behind), edessä (in front of), sisällä (inside). Finnish gives every one of those words a second form for movement — where something goes. This is the same missä/mihin logic you have used since mihin at position 33, now inside the postpositions themselves.
| static (missä?) | directional (mihin?) | English |
|---|---|---|
| alla | alle | (to) under |
| takana | taakse | (to) behind |
| edessä | eteen | (to) in front of |
| sisällä | sisälle | (to) inside |
All of them take the genitive, exactly like the static forms: pöydän alla (under the table) → pöydän alle (to under the table).
| The cat goes under the table. | Kissa menee pöydän alle. |
| The bus comes in front of the school. | Bussi tulee koulun eteen. |
Sisässä — the Third 'Inside'
Beside sisällä and sisälle Finnish has sisässä — inside in the sense of enclosed within: a key inside a bag, a letter inside a book. Kielitoimiston sanakirja lists it right next to sisällä, and everyday Finnish uses both.
| The key is inside the bag. | Avain on laukun sisässä. |
Ympäri — Around
Ympäri is the movement word for a circle: talon ympäri — around the house. With it you can finally send someone running laps.
| The children run around the house. | Lapset juoksevat talon ympäri. |
