The Adessive of Price
In English, when we talk about buying, selling, or renting something, we usually use the preposition "for" to state the price (e.g., "for two euros"). In Finnish, this exact transaction amount is expressed using the Adessive case (-lla / -llä).
When stating a price, you will add the Adessive ending to both the number and the currency or unit. For example, kaksi euroa (two euros) becomes kahdella eurolla.
| I bought that delicious candy bar from the vending machine for two euros. | Ostin tuon herkullisen patukan myyntiautomaatista kahdella eurolla. |
Slang and Tokens
This grammar rule isn't just for official currencies. It works just as well for arcade tokens (poletti) and everyday slang terms for money.
Common spoken terms for cash amounts include kymppi (a tenner / ten euros) and tonni (a grand / a thousand euros). To say you bought something "for a tenner," you simply put kymppi into the Adessive: kympillä.
| Standard processing applied | Ostin kymmenen polettia kympillä. |
| Standard processing applied | Ne myi koko pelihallin kahdella tonnilla! |
You can also use this case to describe the cost of playing a single round of a game or renting a machine:
| Standard processing applied | Pelihallissa on uusi flipperi, jota voi pelata yhdellä poletilla. |
Feeding the Machine
When dealing with a vending machine (myyntiautomaatti) or an arcade game, you will often need to insert cash. In Finnish, you "feed" (syöttää) a banknote (seteli) into the machine.
If you pay with a large banknote, you will usually want change (vaihtoraha).
| Standard processing applied | Syötin myyntiautomaattiin ison setelin, koska halusin vaihtorahaa. |
| I bought that old game for a grand, but I didn't get any change. | Ostin tuon vanhan pelin tonnilla, mutta en saanut yhtään vaihtorahaa. |
