The Inessive Plural (-issa / -issä)
To express being "in" or "inside" multiple places, use the inessive plural case. You form it by adding the inessive ending -ssa or -ssä (following vowel harmony rules) to the plural stem, which is marked by the plural vowel -i-.
| The bird lives in the castle's black towers. | Lintu asuu linnan mustissa torneissa. |
When the plural -i- attaches to the end of a word, the final vowel often changes or drops. For example:
- A final -a or -ä often changes to -o- or -ö- (vanha → vanhoissa).
- A final -i changes to -e- (torni → torneissa).
- Nouns ending in -s often change their ending to -ks- before the plural -i- (rakennus → rakennuksissa).
Adjectives and demonstrative pronouns must also match the noun they describe. Note the plural forms of these common demonstratives:
- tämä (this) becomes näissä (in these)
- tuo (that) becomes noissa (in those)
| There is a beautiful color in these big pillars. | Näissä isoissa pylväissä on kaunis väri. |
| Is there a flaw in these beautiful statues? | Onko näissä kauniissa patsaissa virhe? |
The Verb "Vierailla"
While in English you visit a place, in Finnish you visit in a place. The verb vierailla (to visit) requires its location object to be in the inessive case when referring to enclosed spaces like buildings.
| to visit | vierailla |
| Tourists often visit these old buildings. | Turistit vierailevat usein näissä vanhoissa rakennuksissa. |
| We visited big palaces and manors yesterday. | Me vierailimme eilen isoissa palatseissa ja kartanoissa. |
Describing Locations
The inessive plural is widely used to describe where things are located, where someone lives, or where an action happens. Remember that all adjectives modifying the location must also take the -issa or -issä endings.
| Are those old stones in those ruins? | Ovatko nuo vanhat kivet noissa raunioissa? |
| The manager will visit the new monuments tomorrow. | Johtaja vierailee huomenna uusissa muistomerkeissä. |