Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan lounaalle.

We go to the workplace canteen for lunch.

Breakdown of Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan lounaalle.

• mennä: to go
• me: we
• työpaikka: workplace
• ruokala: canteen
• lounas: lunch

Questions & Answers about Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan lounaalle.

Why is the verb menemme in the present tense when we’re talking about going for lunch (which sounds like a future event)?

Finnish does not have a separate future tense. The present tense form menemme can express both a habitual action (“we go for lunch every day”) and a near-future action (“we are going for lunch now”). Context (time adverbs, tone, body language) tells you which meaning is intended.

Why is there no separate word for we (like “me” in English) in the sentence?

Finnish verbs are conjugated for person and number. Menemme already encodes “we” (1st person plural). The pronoun me is optional and often omitted because it’s redundant.

Why is työpaikan in the genitive case here?

Työpaikan is the genitive of työpaikka (“workplace”). In Finnish, the possessor (the workplace) takes the genitive when modifying another noun (the cafeteria). So työpaikan ruokala literally means “the cafeteria of the workplace.”

Why is ruokalaan in the illative case rather than, say, the accusative?

The illative case (ending -an for many singular nouns) marks movement into something. Since you’re going into the cafeteria, ruokala becomes ruokalaan.

Why is lounaalle in the allative case (ending -lle) instead of the illative?

Certain activities or events in Finnish use the allative to express “going for X.” “Going for lunch” is a set expression: mennä lounaalle. The allative -lle conveys movement toward or for that event, not literally into it.

Could I combine työpaikan and ruokala into one word (a compound)?

Yes. You can form the compound työpaikkaruokala (“workplace cafeteria”) and then decline it: työpaikkaruokalaan. Both työpaikan ruokalaan and työpaikkaruokalaan are grammatically correct; the two-word form is more transparent for learners.

What’s the difference between using mennä and käydä for going somewhere?

Mennä simply means “to go.” Käydä adds the nuance of “to visit or to go and return” (often regularly). So käymme työpaikan ruokalassa might stress the routine visit, whereas menemme työpaikan ruokalaan focuses on the action of going there now or habitually.

Could I express the purpose with an infinitive, like Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan syömään?

Absolutely. Mennä + -maan/-mään expresses purpose.

• Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan syömään lounasta. (“We’re going to the workplace cafeteria to eat lunch.”)
  Here syömään (“to eat”) highlights the action, while lounaalle highlights the event (“for lunch”).

Can I change the word order, or is Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan lounaalle fixed?

Finnish has flexible word order. You could say:

• Lounaalle menemme työpaikan ruokalaan.
• Työpaikan ruokalaan menemme lounaalle.
  All convey the same basic meaning; the neutral, most common order is Menemme työpaikan ruokalaan lounaalle.