Learn Hardcore Finnish: Minulla on suuri unelma matkustaa Lappiin.

Finnish doesn’t have a direct verb for “to have.” Instead you put the possessor in the adessive case (ending -lla/-llä) and use olla (to be). So Minulla on literally means “there is to me,” which corresponds to “I have.”

What case is Minulla in, and why?

Minulla is in the adessive case. In Finnish possession constructions, the possessor takes -lla/-llä, and the thing possessed follows with on:
• Minulla on auto = “I have a car.”

Why is unelma in the nominative case (not partitive)?

In existential or presence constructions with olla (like Minulla on …), the item that “exists” stays in the nominative. Here unelma is the predicative complement of on, so it remains unelma, not unelmaa.

Why is matkustaa in the infinitive form instead of conjugated or in the second infinitive (-maan)?

After nouns like unelma (“dream”), Finnish uses the first infinitive (dictionary form, -a/ä) to indicate what the dream is about:
• suuri unelma matkustaa = “a big dream to travel.”
You don’t conjugate it because it’s a noun complement, and you don’t use the second infinitive (-maan/mään) here—that form expresses purpose with a finite verb of motion (e.g. Lähden matkustamaan Lappiin “I’m setting off to travel to Lapland”).

How do we know who is doing the traveling if matkustaa has no subject?

In Finnish, an infinitive clause inherits its subject from the main clause. Since Minulla indicates I as the possessor (and implicit subject), matkustaa also refers to me (“I”).

What case is Lappiin, and why is there a double i?

Lappiin is the illative case, showing movement “into” Lapland. For most multi-syllable words, you lengthen the final vowel and add -n:
• talo → taloon
• Lappi → Lappiin
The double i marks the long vowel plus the illative -n.

Can I express the same idea with haluan instead of Minulla on unelma?

Yes. Haluan matkustaa Lappiin means “I want to travel to Lapland.” But that frames it as an immediate wish (halu) rather than a long-term dream (unelma).

What’s the difference between suuri unelma and iso unelma?

Both adjectives mean “big/large,” but suuri often sounds more formal or poetic, while iso is more colloquial. Thus suuri unelma feels a bit grander than iso unelma.