Learn Finnish: Tutkimaton jyrkänne, jonne voimme harhautua, on vaarallisen näköinen. - The unexplored cliff where we can wander off looks dangerous.

In standard written Finnish, when referring back to a physical noun like jyrkänne (cliff), you must use a relative word from the joka family. jonne is the destination form of joka used for physical places. minne belongs to the mikä family, which is only used when referring back to entire clauses, pronouns, or superlatives.

Could I use johon instead of jonne?

Yes, absolutely. Both jonne and johon refer to a destination. jonne is a dedicated relative adverb for physical locations, while johon is the standard illative ('into') form of the pronoun joka. They are completely interchangeable when talking about moving into a physical place like a cliff.

Why does harhautua (to wander off) require a destination word (jonne) instead of a static location word (jossa)?

In Finnish, verbs about straying, forgetting, leaving, or getting lost are treated as movements where you end up somewhere. Because you are straying into the cliff area, harhautua requires a direction word pointing towards the destination, rather than a static 'where at' word.

Why is vaarallinen in the genitive case (vaarallisen) instead of the basic nominative?