elämään

Elämään is the illative singular form of the Finnish noun elämä, meaning life. As a member of the illative case, elämään expresses direction into a space or state represented by the base noun, roughly corresponding to “into life” or “to life” in English. The form is used when indicating movement toward life or entry into a situation described by the concept of life, vitality, or living conditions.

In usage, elämään occurs most often in literary or poetic Finnish and in idiomatic expressions. It can appear with verbs of entering, beginning, or experiencing life, though in everyday speech speakers may prefer alternative constructions to convey related nuances. Like other illative forms, elämään signals a shift or transition rather than a fixed location.

Etymologically, elämään derives from the common Finnish noun elämä, which denotes life. The illative form is part of Finnish noun inflection and demonstrates how the language marks directional or transitional meanings through case endings rather than prepositions.

In summary, elämään is a standard inflected form used to convey “into life” within Finnish grammar, most frequently found in literary contexts or specific expressions rather than in everyday colloquial speech. See also Finnish language, Elämä, Illative case, and Finnish noun morphology for broader context.