urheilijoihin

Urheilijoihin is the illative plural form of the Finnish noun urheilija, meaning “athlete.” It denotes movement toward or into a group of athletes or a destination associated with athletes, and it is used in sentences where the action or direction targets a plural group of athletes.

Formation and grammar: The singular form is urheilija, and the nominative plural is urheilijat. The illative plural, indicating “into/to,” is formed from the stem urheilijo- with the suffix -hin, yielding urheilijoihin. Finnish illative forms can show direction or destination, and the pronunciation is adjusted for phonological fit with the surrounding sounds.

Usage and nuances: Urheilijoihin is common in sports journalism, organizational and administrative texts, and other contexts where a group of athletes is involved as the recipient or target of an action. It contrasts with urheilijoille, the illative allative form used for indicating direction toward athletes as recipients or beneficiaries, rather than direction into the group. For example, a sentence might say that funding or resources were directed to the athletes (rahoitus kohdennettiin urheilijoihin” or “urheilijoille,” depending on nuance). The expression can also appear in discussions about events, studies, or programs that involve multiple athletes.

Related forms: Other case forms include urheilijaan (illative singular: into the athlete), urheilijoiden (genitive plural: of the athletes), and urheilijoita (partitive plural: some athletes). Together, these forms illustrate how Finnish marks case, number, and direction with nouns like urheilija.

See also: urheilija, urheilu, Finnish grammar, Finnish cases.