valtavaan

Valtavaan is a Finnish grammatical form that functions as the illative singular form of the adjective valtava, meaning enormous or vast. It is used to indicate movement toward or into something described as large, and it typically precedes a noun in illative case.

In practical use, valtavaan appears when a sentence expresses going into or entering a large object or space. For example, valtavaan taloon means into a huge house, and valtavaan rakennukseen means into a vast building. The form reflects both the spatial direction implied by the verb of motion and the scale described by the adjective.

Finnish adjectives agree with the nouns they modify in case and number. Therefore, when the noun is in the illative case, the adjective takes the corresponding illative form, yielding expressions such as valtavaan taloon or valtavaan rakennukseen. This inflection is a standard part of Finnish grammar and is used with other adjectives as well to convey similar directional meanings.

Valtavaan can also carry metaphorical or emphatic nuance, signaling not only size but a sense of entering or approaching something striking in scale. While primarily a descriptive tool related to motion, its use can emphasize awe, magnitude, or impact in a given situation.

See also: Finnish grammar, Illative case, Adjective inflection in Finnish.