istuimissa

istuimissa is a Finnish linguistic form that means “in the seats.” It represents the inessive plural form of the noun referring to a seat or chair, and is used to describe location within seating areas. In Finnish, the inessive case marks where something is located, and the plural form istaimissa conveys that multiple seats or a collective seating area are involved. The form may appear in descriptive or narrative contexts to indicate occupancy or position in venues such as theaters, auditoriums, or sports arenas.

Usage of istuimissa is common in reporting, event descriptions, and everyday language when noting where people are seated. It can describe the state of people in a venue, often with a possessive suffix to specify whose seats are being referred to (for example, istuimissaan meaning “in their seats”). The construction emphasizes spatial placement rather than the action of sitting. It is distinct from the verb-based forms of istua (to sit), which describe the act itself, whereas istuimissa focuses on location.

Examples:

- Katsojat istuivat istuimissaan katsomon täyttyessä. (The spectators sat in their seats as the stands filled.)

- Osallistujat olivat istuimissaan, kun kongressi alkoi. (The participants were in their seats when the congress began.)

See also:

Finnish grammar, inessive case, plurality in Finnish nouns.