The illative is one of the six paikallissijat or location cases. This case is usually used in the same instances when into or to would be used in English.

• Singular
 
• A word ending in a single -a, -o, -u, -y, -ä, or -ö
• Use the basic stem and -Vn.
 
• A one-syllable word ending in a double vowel
• Use the basic stem or genitive stem and -hVn.
 
• A multisyllable word ending in a double vowel (except for -ii)
• Use the genitive stem and -seen.

 
• A multisyllable word ending in a -ii
• Use the genitive stem and -hVn.
 
• A word ending in a dipthong
• Use the basic stem or genitive stem and -hVn.
 
• A word ending in a single -e
• Use the genitive stem and -seen.
 
• A word ending in a single -i
• Use the partitive stem and -Vn.
 
• A word ending in any consonant other than -n
• Use the genitive stem and -seen.
 
• A word ending in an -n
• Use the genitive stem and -Vn.

 
 
• Plural
 
• A word ending in a single -a, -o, -u, -y, -ä, or -ö
• Use the genitive stem and -hin.
 
• A one-syllable word ending in a double vowel
• Use the genitive stem and -hin.
 
• A multisyllable word ending in a double vowel (except for -ii)
• Use the genitive stem and -siin.
 
• A multisyllable word ending in a -ii
• Use the genitive stem and -hin.
 
• A word ending in a dipthong
• Use the genitive stem and -hin.
 
• A word ending in a single -e or -i
• Use the genitive stem and -hin, -Vn or -siin.
 
• A word ending in any consonant other than -n
• Use the genitive stem and -siin.
 
• A word ending in an -n
• Use the genitive stem and -hin.

-Vn

Use this ending when the noun ends in a single vowel other than -e or -i in the nominative singular.  For instance:
 
 

nominative	basic stem	illative
nahka	nahka-	nahkaan
auto	auto-	autoon
puku	puku-	pukuun
kyky	kyky-	kykyyn
isä	isä-	isään
hölmö	hölmö-	hölmöön

Or use this ending when the noun ends in a -n, but remember to use the genitive stem!
 
 

nominative	genitive stem	illative
lukeminen	lukemise-	lukemiseen
avain	avaime-	avaimeen
huomen	huomene-	huomeneen

Or use this ending when the noun ends in an -i, but remember to use the partitive stem!
 
 

nominative	partitive stem	illative
Turkki	Turkki-	Turkkiin
Helsinki	Helsinki-	Helsinkiin
kuori	kuore-	kuoreen
kieli	kiele-	kieleen

If you don't remember if the final -i changes to -e or stays as -i, then please see E or I?
 

• -hVn
 
Use this ending when the noun ends in a double vowel and is one syllable, a multisyllabic word ending in -ii, or a dipthong in the nominative.  For instance:

 

nominative	basic stem genitive stem	illative
maa	maa-	maahan
tee	tee-	teehen
pii	pii-	piihin
kuu	kuu-	kuuhun
kyy	kyy-	kyyhyn
sää	sää-	säähän
tie	tie-	tiehen
yö	yö-	yöhön
suo	suo-	suohon
tiipii	tiipii-	tiipiihin

-seen

Use this ending when the noun ends in a single -e in the nominative.  For instance:
 

nominative	genitive stem	illative
liike	liikkee-	liikkeeseen
parveke	parvekkee-	parvekkeeseen
huone	huonee-	huoneeseen
kone	konee-	koneeseen
osoite	osoittee-	osoitteeseen


Or use this ending when the noun ends in a consonant other than -n:
 

 

nominative	genitive stem	illative
taival	taipalee-	taipaleeseen
kirkas	kirkkaa-	kirkkaaseen
manner	manteree-	mantereeseen
airut	airuee-	airueeseen


Or use this ending when the noun ends in a double vowel (not double i), but has more than one syllable:
 

 

nominative	genitive stem	illative
vapaa	vapaa-	vapaaseen
kamee	kamee-	kameeseen
ehtoo	ehtoo-	ehtooseen
Lontoo	Lontoo-	Lontooseen
Espoo	Espoo-	Espooseen
tienoo	tienoo-	tienooseen
leikuu	leikuu-	leikuuseen
värjyy	värjyy-	värjyyseen
miljöö	miljöö-	miljööseen


NB. This ending is not used if the word is multisyllabic due to being a compound word if the last compound is actually a one-syllable word!  For instance, it should be Thaimaahan, and not Thaimaaseen, since the last compound is maa.

 
• Words that require the illative