-sta/-stä

Elative (-sta/-stä)

Level 1

The elative case (-sta/-stä) primarily means 'out of' a place, but it is also used to talk 'about' topics, express opinions, and with specific verbs like 'to like'.

How It Works

The elative is one of the most versatile cases in Finnish. Its functions include:

  • Physical Movement: Moving out of a 3D space (e.g., talosta - out of the house).
  • Topics: Talking or thinking 'about' something (e.g., puhua Suomesta - to talk about Finland).
  • Opinions: Using the form minusta to mean 'in my opinion'.
  • Materials: What something is made of (e.g., tehty puusta - made of wood).
  • Verb Rection: Certain verbs require this case, most notably pitää (to like).

Formation:
1. Start with the vowel stem (the same stem used for the genitive).
2. The ending triggers consonant gradation, meaning words like kauppa change to the weak grade kaupa-.
3. Add -sta if the word has back vowels (a, o, u).
4. Add -stä if the word has front vowels (ä, ö, y) or only neutral vowels (e, i).

Example: kauppa (shop) → kaupa- (stem) → kaupasta (out of the shop).

Examples (5)

  1. Otan kirjan laukusta.

    I take the book out of the bag.

    Word by Word: I-take book bag-out-of.

    Here, -sta shows physical movement from inside the bag to the outside.

  2. Minä pidän tästä kirjasta.

    I like this book.

    Word by Word: I like this-from book-from.

    The verb 'pitää' (to like) always requires the elative case on the object it refers to.

  3. Puhumme Suomesta.

    We are talking about Finland.

    Word by Word: We-talk Finland-about.

    When using the verb 'puhua' (to talk), the topic is always in the elative case.

  4. Minusta tämä on hyvä idea.

    In my opinion, this is a good idea.

    Word by Word: Me-from this is good idea.

    'Minusta' is the standard way to say 'in my opinion' or 'from my perspective'.

  5. Hänestä tuli lääkäri.

    He became a doctor.

    Word by Word: Him-from came doctor.

    The verb 'tulla' (to come/become) uses the elative to show a change of state.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the wrong vowel harmony ending.

    Helsinkista
    Helsingistä

    Because 'Helsinki' contains front/neutral vowels, you must use -stä. Also, remember the 'nk' changes to 'ng' (weak grade).

  • Confusing Elative (-sta) with Ablative (-lta).

    Tulen torista.
    Tulen torilta.

    The elative is for 'inside' spaces. Open areas like a market (tori) or a station platform usually use the ablative case (-lta).

How It Connects

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-sta/-stäLevel 1Elative (-sta/-stä)

Learn This First

To learn the elative case, you must understand how vowel harmony determines the suffix form (-sta vs -stä) and how consonant gradation affects the word stem. Familiarity with the inessive case is also helpful as they are both part of the internal locative case system.

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Words in This Pattern

-sta-stä