Cases

Finnish, as you have probably already learned, has an abundance of cases that tend to baffle the beginner. Here are some brief explanations of how they are used. With Finnish it is of the utmost importance that the learner memorizes which case is, or which cases are, used with the verb since a mistake can create unbelievably embarassing situations or take an innocent conversation to such sexual extremes that you will want to crawl in a hole and die (Yes, I speak from experience 0=)).

Nominative (form that is found in dictionaries and is used for the subject of a sentence)

Genitive (the equivalent of English's genitive 's, thus Matt's would be Matin (Matti + n (genitive marker) with a dash of consonant gradation))

Partitive (form used for immeasurable things, uncountables, and undefined amounts. Also used after numbers greater than 1)

Accusative (form used for the direct object; often confusing since it can look exactly like either the nominative or the genitive)

Sisäiset paikallissijat (Inside location cases)

Inessive (form used for in, within or at)

Elative (form used for from or out of)

Illative (form used for into or to)

Ulkoiset paikallissijat (Outside location cases)

Adessive (form used for on, on top of)

Ablative (form used for off of)

Allative (form used for on to or to)

Abessive (older form; often replaced by jtk ilman in Finnish nowadays)

Essive (form used as the equivalent of as)

Translative (form used when something is being transformed into something else)

Comitative (older form; often replaced by jnk kanssa in Finnish nowadays)

Instructive (form to indicate how something is done)