Illative (-sse)

Level 1

The illative (sisseütlev) adds -sse and means "into" or "to": Ma lähen Tallinnasse (I am going to Tallinn).

How It Works

1. The long form -sse
Add -sse to the genitive stem:

  • Tallinn → Tallinna → Tallinnasse
  • Tartu → Tartusse
  • Pärnu → Pärnusse
  • pood → poe → poesse

Always write -sse with a double s.

2. The short illative
Many common words have a shorter form. It often looks like the genitive or has a doubled consonant. The short illative explains the patterns.

  • kool → kooli (also koolisse)
  • linn → linna
  • pood → poodi (also poesse)
  • kino → kinno
  • tuba → tuppa
  • park → parki

For some words, the short form is the only natural choice for a place: people say läks parki, not *pargisse. When a dictionary gives a short illative, prefer it for places.

3. Uses

  • Going somewhere: with minema: Ma lähen Tallinnasse.
  • Putting something into something: Pane piim külmkappi.
  • Falling or getting into something: Ta kukkus vette. (He fell into the water.) vesi → vette is another short illative.

4. Inner vs outer "to"
For surfaces, people and places that take -l, use the allative -le: lauale (onto the table), tööle (to work). The illative, inessive and elative form one set: kuhu? kus? kust?

Examples (6)

  1. Ma lähen Tallinnasse.

    I am going to Tallinn.

    Word by Word: I go into-Tallinn.

  2. Ta sõidab Tartusse.

    He is driving to Tartu.

    Word by Word: He drives into-Tartu.

  3. Pane piim külmkappi.

    Put the milk in the fridge.

    Word by Word: Put milk into-fridge.

    külmkapp → külmkappi: a short illative.

  4. Tule tuppa!

    Come into the room!

    Word by Word: Come into-room!

    tuba → tuppa: a short illative.

  5. Lähme kinno!

    Let's go to the cinema!

    Word by Word: Let's-go into-cinema!

    kino → kinno.

  6. Lapsed lähevad kooli.

    The children are going to school.

    Word by Word: Children go into-school.

    kool → kooli is the everyday short form; koolisse is also correct.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the "in" case for movement.

    Ma lähen Tallinnas.
    Ma lähen Tallinnasse.

    Tallinnas means being in Tallinn. For going there, use the illative -sse.

  • Using the long form where only the short illative sounds right.

    Lähme pargisse!
    Lähme parki!

    For park, the place meaning uses the short illative parki. Check the dictionary for words with a short form.

  • Forgetting the ending after a verb of movement.

    Ta sõidab Tartu.
    Ta sõidab Tartusse.

    Place names need a case ending. After sõitma and minema, add the illative -sse.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Illative (-sse)Level 1

Learn This First

The illative is the to-member of the inner set.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.