In Finnish, some verbs change their meaning depending on the grammatical case they govern. A common example is the verb koskea.
Koskea + Partitive: To Concern or Apply To
Koskea paired with the partitive case means "to concern" or "to apply to".
| This ban absolutely applies to all visitors. | Tämä kielto koskee ehdottomasti kaikkia vierailijoita. |
| The information board concerns only feeding, you know. | Opastauluhan koskee vain ruokintaa. |
Koskea + Illative: To Physically Touch
Koskea paired with the illative case (which often ends in a lengthened vowel + -n) means "to physically touch".
| Do not touch the pony at the petting zoo. | Älä koske poniin kotieläinpihalla. |
| I wouldn't touch that animal pen. | En koskisi tuohon karsinaan. |
Spotting the Difference
Because the meaning depends entirely on the case ending, both usages can appear side-by-side without confusion. Notice how poniin is in the illative case (touch), while sitä is in the partitive case (applies to):
| The visitor touched the pony, even though the ban applies to it! | Vierailija koski poniin, vaikka kielto koskee sitä! |
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