Postpositions Follow the Genitive
Noun in Genitive (-n) + Postposition (e.g., alla, edessä, kanssa).
How It Works
In Finnish, most words that function like English prepositions actually come after the noun. These are called postpositions.
1. The Genitive Case
For most postpositions, the preceding noun is in the genitive case. This means the noun will end in -n and may undergo consonant gradation (e.g., pöytä becomes pöydän). However, note that a few specific postpositions (like varten or kohti) require the partitive case instead.
2. The Three-Way Motion System (Spatial Postpositions)
For postpositions describing location, the ending changes based on direction, similar to local cases:
- Static (Missä): pöydän alla (under the table)
- To (Mihin): pöydän alle (to under the table)
- From (Mistä): pöydän alta (from under the table)
Note that abstract postpositions like kanssa (with) do not use this system.
3. Personal Pronouns and Suffixes
In standard Finnish, postpositions such as kanssa and edessä take a possessive suffix with a personal-pronoun complement. With a noun complement, the postposition does not acquire a personal suffix simply because it follows that noun: kissan kanssa. The noun itself can show possession: kissani kanssa means with my cat. Everyday speech commonly omits the suffix on the postposition: mun kanssa, sen edessä.
- 1st & 2nd Person: The pronoun is optional (e.g., (minun) kanssani, (teidän) edessänne).
- 3rd Person: In standard usage, include the pronoun for a separate third-person referent: hänen edessään. Without it, the suffix normally refers back to the subject or another locally licensed antecedent: Hän näki edessään talon (he/she saw a house ahead of him/herself).
4. Contrast: Prepositions
A small group of words, like ennen (before) and ilman (without), are prepositions. They come before the noun and require the partitive case instead of the genitive.
Plural complements: Use the plural genitive when the noun is plural: talojen takana (behind the houses), lasten kanssa (with the children).
Some words allow both positions: kohti taloa / taloa kohti both take partitive. Compare keskellä metsää and metsän keskellä; position can go with a different case. Learn the whole construction rather than assigning every adposition a permanently fixed side.
Examples (6)
- Kissa nukkuu pöydän alla.
The cat sleeps under the table.
Word by Word: Cat sleeps table's under.
'Pöydän' is the genitive of 'pöytä'. 'Alla' is the static (missä) form of the postposition.
- Kissa hyppää pöydän alle.
The cat jumps under the table.
Word by Word: Cat jumps table's to-under.
When there is movement to a place, the postposition changes to the 'mihin' form: 'alle'.
- Kissa tulee pöydän alta.
The cat comes from under the table.
Word by Word: Cat comes table's from-under.
When there is movement away from a place, the postposition changes to the 'mistä' form: 'alta'.
- Tuletko (minun) kanssani?
Are you coming with me?
Word by Word: Come-you (my) with-my?
In standard Finnish, the 1st person pronoun 'minun' is optional because the suffix '-ni' already shows who is meant.
- Hän istuu heidän edessään.
He/she is sitting in front of them.
Word by Word: He/she sits their in-front-of-their.
Here heidän identifies a separate plural referent in standard Finnish; edessään alone would not convey the intended in front of them in this sentence.
- Ennen lomaa meillä on paljon työtä.
Before the holiday, we have a lot of work.
Word by Word: Before holiday-partitive we-at is much work-partitive.
Contrast: 'Ennen' is a preposition that comes before the noun and requires the partitive case.
Common Mistakes
Using the nominative (basic form) instead of the genitive.
Kissa on pöytä alla.Kissa on pöydän alla.Alla in this construction requires the genitive pöydän. This does not mean every Finnish postposition takes the genitive.
Using English word order (putting the word before the noun).
Hän on kanssa minun.Hän on minun kanssani.In Finnish, these words are 'post-positions', meaning they must follow the noun they modify.
Forgetting the possessive suffix with pronouns in formal writing.
Hän tulee minun kanssa.Hän tulee minun kanssani.While 'minun kanssa' is common in speech, standard written Finnish requires the possessive suffix '-ni'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use postpositions correctly, you must first be able to form the genitive case, which involves understanding consonant gradation. Additionally, when using postpositions with people (pronouns), you need to know how to attach the correct possessive suffixes.
Related Patterns
- -n (genetiivi)Genitive (-n)
The genitive case is required for the noun preceding the postposition.
Level 1 - Consonant Gradation
Nouns often undergo consonant gradation when changing to the genitive case before a postposition.
Level 1 - kanssaWith (Kanssa)
One of the most common postpositions meaning 'with'.
Level 2 - ilman / ennenPrepositions Ilman and Ennen
These are prepositions, which are the rare exceptions that come before the noun and take the partitive case.
Level 2 - Inside vs On Top
Postpositions are used when the standard local cases (like -ssa or -lla) are not specific enough.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice Postpositions Follow the Genitive in Bubblegum
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