Rukoukseen

Rukoukseen is the illative form of the Finnish noun rukous, meaning prayer. It translates roughly as “into prayer” or “to prayer” and is used to express movement toward or entry into the activity or state of praying. The form is common in liturgical or ecclesiastical Finnish and appears in phrases that invite participation in prayer or indicate a shift in focus to prayer during services or devotions.

In practical use, rukoukseen often accompanies verbs of movement or transition, such as mennä (to go) or siirtyä (to move). Examples include Menkää rukoukseen or Siirtykää rukoukseen, signals that the gathering should proceed to prayer. The illative form can also appear in descriptive expressions like “tilaan rukouksen” to describe being in a state of prayer, though rukoukseen most directly signals the act or moment of entering prayer.

Linguistically, rukoukseen is formed as the illative case of rukous. Finnish illative forms typically indicate direction toward a destination or activity, and rukoukseen is the standard way to indicate “into prayer” within the stem rukous. The usage is largely confined to formal or religious contexts, though it may appear in translations, hymns, and scripted prayers.

See also: rukous, rukoilla, liturgy, Finnish prayer traditions.