prepositioissa

Prepositioissa is a term used in Finnish grammar to refer to the use and function of prepositions (prepositiot). Prepositions are words that express relations between a noun or pronoun and other parts of the sentence, such as location, time, direction, or manner. In Finnish, many spatial and temporal relations are expressed by the noun’s case rather than by a separate preposition, which makes prepositional phrases somewhat different from those in languages with a heavier reliance on prepositions.

Structure and usage: Finnish prepositions can appear as standalone words placed before the noun or as part of postpositional constructions after the noun. Some common prepositions include with, without, toward, and about, and they cover a range of semantic relations. Prepositions themselves do not inflect; the noun or pronoun that follows them may take a case form or a possessive suffix to indicate the relationship expressed by the preposition. This can result in combinations such as a genitive noun with a postpositional element, depending on the utterance.

Examples: Kävelen ystäväni kanssa. (I walk with my friend.) Laitan kahvin ilman sokeria. (I make the coffee without sugar.) Koululle mennään illalla. (We go to the school in the evening.) Lampun päällä on kirja. (There is a book on top of the lamp.)

Notes: Prepositioissa one often considers the interplay between prepositions and Finnish cases, as well as the role of postpositional forms in conveying relations. See also Finnish grammar, case system, postpositions, prepositiot.