Consonant Gradation
Adding an ending like the inessive (-ssa or -ssä) closes the final syllable of a word. This often triggers consonant gradation, where consonants in the root shift from a "strong" grade to a "weak" grade.
The simplest pattern is quantitative gradation, where double consonants weaken to single consonants.
kk → k
luokka (classroom) → luokassa (in the classroom)
| The teacher is in the classroom. | Opettaja on luokassa. |
| The old man is in the church. | Vanha mies on kirkossa. |
pp → p
kauppa (shop) → kaupassa (in the shop)
| I am in the shop today. | Minä olen tänään kaupassa. |
| The book is in the backpack. | Kirja on repussa. |
Notice how the subject (kukka) keeps its strong grade kk because it has no ending, while the location (kuppi) takes the inessive ending and weakens to p:
| The small flower is in the cup. | Pieni kukka on kupissa. |
tt → t
teltta (tent) → teltassa (in the tent)
| The girl sits in the tent. | Tyttö istuu teltassa. |
| The small dog is in the hat. | Pieni koira on hatussa. |
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