tummalla

Tummalla is a Finnish grammatical form of the adjective tumma. It functions as the adessive singular and is used to describe something that is dark in color or shade, often indicating location or association with a dark surface or object. In sentences it typically accompanies a noun in adessive case, for example to say that something is on a dark surface or that an object has a dark color.

Morphology and usage conventions

In Finnish, adjectives decline to agree with the noun in case, number, and definiteness. The base form tumma changes to tummalla when combined with a singular noun in the adessive case (on/at a surface). This form is common in descriptive writing, product descriptions, and everyday speech when color or shade needs to be specified. Other related forms include tummaa (partitive), tumman (genitive), and tummat (plural).

Common contexts

- Describing color or shade: "tummalla värillä" (with a dark color)

- Indicating location on a surface: "kukka on tummalla pöydällä" (the flower on the dark table)

- Comparative or stylistic uses in literature: conveying mood or atmosphere through dark tones

Relation to other terms

Tummalla is linked to the base adjective tumma, which is used for both physical color and metaphorical darkness. Finnish grammar governs its form through case endings rather than separate lexemes, so tummalla is not a standalone noun but a inflected adjective form.

See also

Tumma, Finnish grammar, Adessive case.