Asking "Where to"
To ask where something is being moved or placed, use the question word mihin (where to / into what).
The Illative Case ("Into")
When you pack, move, or put something into a space, Finnish uses the illative case.
The ending you use depends on the shape of the word:
- -Vn (double the last vowel + n): For most words ending in a single short vowel. For example, kaappi becomes kaappiin and laukku becomes laukkuun.
- -seen: For words ending in -e. For example, huone (room) becomes huoneeseen.
- -hVn (h + the last vowel + n): For short words ending in two vowels. For example, työ (work) becomes työhön.
Unlike many other endings, the illative case attaches to the strong stem of a word. This means double consonants like pp or kk are kept strong (e.g., reppu -> reppuun, laatikko -> laatikkoon).
Remember that adjectives must also match the case of the noun they describe.
Verbs of Moving and Fitting
Verbs that express relocation or placement naturally take the illative case. This includes verbs like pakata (to pack) and siirtää (to move).
Another important verb that behaves this way is mahtua (to fit).
In English, you might say an item "fits in" a suitcase. In Finnish, you must think of it as fitting into the suitcase, so the destination requires the illative case.
