kissoilla

Kissoilla is the plural adessive form of the Finnish noun kissa (cat). The adessive case in Finnish marks location or possession, and in plural it is expressed with the suffix -illa, resulting in kissoilla. The form is derived from the plural stem kissat and is commonly used in sentences that describe possession.

In practical use, kissoilla most often appears in existential clauses with the verb on to indicate ownership. For example, the sentence Kissoilla on ruokaa translates to “The cats have food.” Other common examples are Kissoilla on lemmikkejä and Kissoilla on uusia leluja, meaning “The cats have pets” and “The cats have new toys,” respectively. In these constructions the noun in the adessive plural (kissoilla) denotes the possessor, while the possessed item appears in the partitive or other appropriate case.

Kissoilla is not typically used to indicate simple location of objects on or at something; instead, it serves to mark the possessor in sentences built with olla or similar verbs of possession. Finnish grammar distinguishes this possessive use from the nominative subject or other possessive constructions, such as using the genitive to show ownership.

See also: Finnish grammar, Adessive case, Noun inflection, Kissa.