kupissa

Kupissa is a Finnish noun form that expresses location inside a cup. Specifically, kupissa is the inessive singular of kuppi (cup), meaning “in the cup.” It is used when describing where a substance or object is situated in relation to a cup, typically for beverages such as coffee or tea.

Etymology and grammar: Kupissa derives from the noun kuppi plus the inessive suffix -ssa, which marks a static location inside something. Finnish uses a rich case system, so related forms exist to express movement toward or away from the cup or position on its surface. For example, illative forms (into the cup) such as kuppiin indicate movement into a container, while elative forms (out of the cup) such as kupista indicate movement away from it.

Usage notes: In ordinary speech, kupissa commonly appears with existential verbs like olla (to be) to indicate that a liquid or object is inside the cup. Example: Kahvi on kupissa. (“The coffee is in the cup.”) It can also appear in sentences describing actions involving containers, such as Kaadettiin kahvi kupiin. (“Coffee was poured into the cup.”) and Kahvi kaatui kupista. (“The coffee spilled from the cup.”)

Related terms: The word kuppi refers to the cup itself, while other case forms such as kuppiin (into the cup) and kupista (out of the cup) express movement or change in relation to the container. The concept is primarily linguistic and everyday in meaning, rather than referring to a specific object or organization.

See also: Kupe, kuppi, Finnish grammar, Finnish cases.