Illalla palaan kotiin laittamaan illallista.

In the evening I return home to make dinner.

Breakdown of Illalla palaan kotiin laittamaan illallista.

• koti: the home
• illalla: in the evening
• palata: to return
• laittaa: to make
• illallinen: the dinner

Questions & Answers about Illalla palaan kotiin laittamaan illallista.

What does illalla mean, and what case is it?

illalla means “in the evening.” It’s the adessive case of ilta (evening). Finnish uses the adessive case (–lla/–llä) to express time periods when something happens:

• aamulla = in the morning
• päivällä = during the day
• illalla = in the evening

Why is palaan used instead of tulen to say “I return home”?

Both palata and tulla can translate as “come” or “return,” but there’s a nuance:

• palaan (I return) stresses the idea of going back to a place you’ve been before.
• tulen (I come) is more neutral “I come” or “I arrive.”
  Here, the speaker emphasizes that they’re heading back home, so palaan is perfectly natural.

Why is kotiin in the illative case?

Verbs of movement (like palata, tulla, lähteä “to leave”) require their destination in the illative case (–in). So:

• koti = home (basic form)
• kotiin = into/to home (illative)
  Hence palaan kotiin = “I return home.”

What is laittamaan, and why is it used here?

laittamaan is the third infinitive in the illative form. Finnish uses it after verbs of movement to express purpose (“in order to…”). Structure:

• Main verb (movement) + third infinitive illative
• palaan (I return) + laittamaan (in order to make)
  So palaan kotiin laittamaan illallista = “I return home in order to make dinner.”

Why is illallista in the partitive case?

The partitive object (–a/–ä, –ta/–tä, etc.) is used with verbs that describe an ongoing, incomplete, or indefinite action. Cooking dinner is an activity, not a completed whole at the moment of speaking. Hence:

• illallinen = dinner (basic noun)
• illallista = partitive, marking “dinner” as something being prepared/made

Why is the present tense palaan used when you’re talking about a future action?

In Finnish, the present tense can describe both present and near-future actions, especially when you specify a time adverbial like illalla. So illalla palaan naturally means “this evening I will return,” without needing a special future tense.

Could I use tehdä instead of laittaa for “make dinner”?

Yes, but nuance differs:

• laittaa ruokaa/illallista = to cook or prepare food (very common)
• tehdä ruokaa/illallista = to make food (slightly more general)
  Native speakers often choose laittaa for everyday cooking:
  “Palaan kotiin laittamaan illallista.”
  You could also say:
  “Palaan kotiin tekemään illallista,”
  but it feels a bit more formal or literal.