The Elative Plural (-ista / -istä)
The elative case generally translates to "out of", "from", or "about". To form the elative plural, you add the ending -sta or -stä (following vowel harmony rules) to the plural stem, which is marked by the plural vowel -i-.
Just like with other cases, any adjectives or demonstrative pronouns must agree with the noun they modify. Note the plural forms of these common demonstratives in the elative case:
- tämä (this) becomes näistä (from/about these)
- tuo (that) becomes noista (from/about those)
Movement and Origin
The elative plural is heavily used to describe movement out of places, acquiring things from places, or identifying where multiple things originate.
Materials and "Made Of"
This lesson introduces vocabulary for various materials and fabrics.
When stating what an item is (e.g., "the shoes are leather"), the material is typically expressed using the partitive case.
However, when describing what something is made out of (often paired with the verb tehdä, to make), Finnish uses the elative case. If you are referring to plural materials or broad categories, you use the elative plural -ista / -istä.
Reading and Talking "About"
Finally, remember that the elative case is also required when you are reading, talking, or thinking about something.