Learn Hardcore Finnish: Illalla palaamme serkun luo syömään iltapalaa. - In the evening we return to the cousin’s place to eat an evening snack.

Ilta means evening in the basic form.
Illalla is the adessive case, which is often used for time expressions to mean in the evening / at night / in the morning, etc.

ilta = evening
illalla = in the evening, this evening

So Illalla palaamme… = In the evening we (will) return…

What exactly does palaamme mean, and what is its basic form?

The basic dictionary form is palata (to return, to come back).

Palaamme is:

person: 1st person plural (we)
tense: present tense
mood: indicative

So palaamme literally means “we return / we come back”.

If palaamme is present tense, how can the sentence refer to the future (“we will return in the evening”)?

Finnish usually uses the present tense to talk about future events, especially when the time is clear from context or from a time word like illalla.

So:

Illalla palaamme… can mean In the evening we (will) return…
There is no separate future tense; the present does that job.

What does serkun mean, and why does it end in -n?

The basic form is serkku (cousin).

Serkun is the genitive form, used, among other things, before luo to indicate whose place / whose home you are going to.

serkku = cousin
serkun = of the cousin / the cousin’s

So serkun luo literally means “to the cousin’s (place)”.

What does luo mean here? Is it like “to”?

Luo is a postposition that usually means “to (someone’s place / presence)”.

serkun luo = to the cousin’s (place/home)
ystävän luo = to a friend’s (place)
opettajan luo = to the teacher’s (office / place)

It specifically focuses on going to where that person is, rather than just any physical building.

What is the difference between luo and luokse?

They have the same meaning: to (someone’s place / presence).

serkun luo
serkun luokse

Both mean to the cousin’s (place).
Luo is shorter and very common in everyday speech. Luokse can sound a bit more formal or bookish, but both are correct.

How is serkun luo different from serkulle?

serkun luo: literally to the cousin’s place. Focus on location/“home”.
serkulle (allative case of serkku): to the cousin as a person, or to the cousin’s place depending on context.

Often they overlap in meaning, and both can be used in many everyday situations.
Serkun luo makes the “place” idea slightly more explicit.

Why is it syömään instead of syödä?

The basic form is syödä (to eat).

Syömään here is the third infinitive in the illative case. After verbs of movement (like mennä, tulla, palata), this form expresses purpose:

mennä syömään = to go to eat
tulla katsomaan = to come to see/watch
palata serkun luo syömään = to return to the cousin’s (place) to eat

So the structure is: verb of motion + 3rd infinitive illative = to do X (purpose).

Could you say Illalla palaamme serkun luo ja syömme iltapalaa instead?

Yes, you can.

Illalla palaamme serkun luo syömään iltapalaa.
= In the evening we return to the cousin’s (place) to eat an evening snack.
Illalla palaamme serkun luo ja syömme iltapalaa.
= In the evening we return to the cousin’s (place) and we eat an evening snack.

The meaning is almost the same. The syömään version emphasizes purpose more compactly; the ja syömme version lists two separate actions.

What is iltapalaa, and why is it in that form instead of iltapala?

The basic form is iltapala (evening snack / light evening meal).

Iltapalaa is the partitive case. Objects of eating, drinking, consuming are very often in the partitive, especially when the amount is not fixed or clearly “all of it”:

syön iltapalaa = I’m eating (some) evening snack
juon kahvia = I drink (some) coffee

So syömään iltapalaa = to eat some evening snack / to have an evening snack.

How is iltapala different from words like illallinen or päivällinen?

These are all meals but with different typical uses:

iltapala: light evening snack or small meal, often later in the evening (bread, tea, yogurt, etc.).
illallinen: dinner, often more formal or larger evening meal.
päivällinen: dinner/supper, main hot meal of the day (usage varies by region and family).

So iltapalaa here is not a big formal dinner, but more like a light evening snack.

Why is there no word for “the” in “the cousin” or “the evening”?

Finnish has no articles (a, an, the).

ilta can mean an evening, the evening, evening depending on context.
serkku can mean a cousin, the cousin.

The “definite” or “indefinite” meaning is understood from context, not from an article. In this sentence, context makes it clear which cousin and which evening are meant.

Can the word order be changed, for example: Palaamme illalla serkun luo syömään iltapalaa?

Yes. That sentence is also natural and means the same thing.

Finnish word order is relatively flexible. Illalla is at the beginning in the original to emphasize when the action happens, but

Illalla palaamme serkun luo syömään iltapalaa.
Palaamme illalla serkun luo syömään iltapalaa.

are both correct. The emphasis shifts slightly, but the basic meaning stays the same.

Is the subject “we” always hidden like in palaamme, or can it be written?

In Finnish, personal pronouns are often dropped, because the verb ending already shows the person:

me palaamme = we return
palaamme = we return

Both are correct. Here, palaamme already clearly means we (will) return, so me is not necessary and is usually omitted unless you want special emphasis on we.