Location derivations (-la / -mo)

Places with -la / -lä

To form the name of a place or facility associated with a certain noun or activity, you can add the suffix -la or -lä. Remember to follow vowel harmony: use -lä if the word contains y, ä, or ö, and -la otherwise.

  • ruoka (food) → ruokala (canteen)
  • asunto (apartment) → asuntola (dormitory)
  • neuvo (advice) → neuvola (child health clinic)
The canteen is located in the dormitory's basement.
Ruokala sijaitsee asuntolan kellarissa.
The child health clinic is behind the hospital.
Neuvola on sairaalan takana.

Businesses and Shops with -mo / -mö

The suffix -mo or -mö is typically added to a verb stem to create a noun meaning "the place where this action happens." This is very commonly used to form the names of local businesses, workshops, and facilities.

  • korjata (to repair) → korjaamo (repair shop)
  • vuokrata (to rent) → vuokraamo (rental shop)
  • panna (to brew) → panimo (brewery)
  • ommella (to sew) → ompelimo (tailor shop)
The car was taken to the repair shop yesterday.
Auto vietiin korjaamoon eilen.
We rented bicycles from the local rental shop.
Me vuokrasimme pyörät paikallisesta vuokraamosta.
Grandmother worked in a small tailor shop.
Isoäiti työskenteli pienessä ompelimossa.

Inflecting Derived Places

Once these words are formed, they behave exactly like regular nouns. You can add standard location endings to them, such as the inessive (-ssa / -ssä) to say you are inside or at the location, or the illative (-Vn) to say you are going there.

My dirty clothes are in the laundromat.
Minun likaiset vaatteeni ovat pesulassa.
The audience sat in the stands.
Yleisö istui katsomossa.
I'm going back to the dormitory.
Mä meen takas asuntolaan.