katolla

Katolla is a Finnish locative form meaning "on the roof." It is the adessive case of the noun katto (roof) and is formed by adding the suffix -lla/-llä to the stem. The adessive marks location on a surface or at a place, so katolla literally translates to "on the roof" and is used without a separate preposition to describe where something is.

In everyday Finnish, katolla is common for describing the position of objects or beings relative to a roof. Examples: "Kissa istuu katolla" (The cat is on the roof). "Lumi on katolla" (The snow is on the roof). The form can also appear in combinations with movement and other spatial relations through related cases: katolta means "from the roof" and katolle means "onto the roof." Other directional forms used with roof-related motion include illative forms such as kattoon (onto the roof).

Usage notes: katolla is one of several case forms that convey location without prepositions. It is typically appropriate for surfaces or boundaries that can be described spatially as being on top of something. In contrast, other cases may express being inside, moving toward, or moving away from the roof, depending on the intended relation.

See also: Finnish grammar, Finnish nouns, Finnish cases.