1 Introduction
The plural stem is used to form the plural of the translative, inessive, elative, adessive, ablative, allative, abessive, and instructive.
2 Formation
The plural stem is formed with the aid of the genitive stem. The plural stem always includes a plural marker i. In the inflection examples below, the inessive endings have been separated from the stem by a hyphen. A good knowledge ofconsonant gradation and vowel change i ~ e is of great use.
2.1 Words that end in a vowel
a) Words that end in a single a
If a word ends in a single a, there are two ways of forming the plural stem. If a word includes two syllables, and there is o or u in the first one, the plural stem is formed by replacing the a by the plural marker i.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
kova kova-ssa kovi-ssa hard
muna muna-ssa muni-ssa egg
loota looda-ssa loodi-ssa box
luuta luuda-ssa luudi-ssa broom
koira koira-ssa koiri-ssa dog
kuiva kuiva-ssa kuivi-ssa dry
routa rouda-ssa roudi-ssa frost
juoma juoma-ssa juomi-ssa drink
Otherwise, the last letter a of the genitive stem is replaced by o, and the plural marker i is attached after it.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
kana kana-ssa kanoi-ssa hen
vaaka vaa'a-ssa vaaoi-ssa scale
helma helma-ssa helmoi-ssa hem
Veera Veera-ssa Veeroi-ssa Veera
ripa riva-ssa rivoi-ssa handle
hiiva hiiva-ssa hiivoi-ssa yeast laiva laiva-ssa laivoi-ssa ship kauppa kaupa-ssa kaupoi-ssa shop keila keila-ssa keiloi-ssa bowling pin
leuka leua-ssa leuoi-ssa chin
hiekka hieka-ssa hiekoi-ssa sand tiukka tiuka-ssa tiukoi-ssa tight
The previous rule is also applied to all words with three or more syllables no matter which vowels there are in the preceding syllables.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
mansikka mansika-ssa mansikoi-ssa strawberry mustikka mustika-ssa mustikoi-ssa blueberry
b) Words that end in a single ä
If a word ends in a single ä, the plural stem is formed by replacing ä by the plural marker i.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
väärä väärä-ssä vääri-ssä wrong
räkä rää-ssä räi-ssä snot
c) Words that end in i
If a word ends in a single i, and it does not undergo the vowel change i ~ e, the plural stem is formed by replacing the i by e and adding the plural marker iafter it.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
kiivi kiivi-ssä kiivei-ssä kiwi fruit kahvi kahvi-ssa kahvei-ssa coffee kaappi kaapi-ssa kaapei-ssa cabinet
If a word undergoes the vowel change i ~ e, the plural stem is formed by replacing the last letter e of the genitive stem by the plural marker i, except for the words ending in -si.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
kieli kiele-ssä kieli-ssä language
koipi koive-ssa koivi-ssa leg
mäki mäe-ssä mäi-ssä hill
If a word ends in -si and undergoes the vowel change i ~ e, the plural stem is similar to the nominative stem.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
vesi vede-ssä vesi-ssä water
kansi kanne-ssa kansi-ssa lid
jälsi jälle-ssä jälsi-ssä cambium
virsi virre-ssä virsi-ssä hymn
d) Words that end in a single e, o, u, y, or ö
If a word ends in a single e, o, u, y, or ö, the plural stem is formed by adding the plural marker i to the genitive stem.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
nalle nalle-ssa nallei-ssa teddy bear
aatto aato-ssa aatoi-ssa eve
koulu koulu-ssa koului-ssa school
pyry pyry-ssä pyryi-ssä snowstorm
säilö säilö-ssä säilöi-ssä storage
e) Words that end in a long vowel
If a word ends in a long vowel, the plural stem is formed by replacing the last letter of the genitive stem by the plural marker i.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
maa maa-ssa mai-ssa country
tee tee-ssä tei-ssä tea
ehtoo ehtoo-ssa ehtoi-ssa evening
puu puu-ssa pui-ssa tree
pyy pyy-ssä pyi-ssä hazelhen
pää pää-ssä päi-ssä head
f) Words that end in a diphthong that ends in i
If a word ends in a diphthong that ends in i, the plural stem is formed by replacing the i by the plural marker i. Thus, the plural stem is similar to the nominative and genitive stem.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
hai hai-ssa hai-ssa shark
koi koi-ssa koi-ssa moth
f) Word ends in ie, uo, or yö
If a one-syllable word ends in the diphthong ie, uo, or yö, the plural stem is formed by omitting the first component of the diphthong, and adding the plural marker i.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
tie tie-ssä tei-ssä road
suo suo-ssa soi-ssa marsh
työ työ-ssä töi-ssä work
f) Words that end in another diphthong or a vowel cluster
If a word ends in another diphthong or a vowel cluster that is not a diphthong, the plural stem is formed by adding the plural marker i to the genitive stem. This rule also applies to polysyllabic words that end in -ie, -uo, or -yö.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation neliö neliö-ssä neliöi-ssä square kolmio kolmio-ssa kolmioi-ssa triangle
collie collie-ssa colliei-ssa collie
2.2 Words that end in a consonant
If a word ends in a consonant or a relic consonant, the plural stem is formed from the genitive stem. In the inflection examples below, the inessive endings have been separated from the stem by a hyphen.
a) Genitive stem ends in -de
If the genitive stem ends in -de, in front of which there is a vowel, the plural stem is formed by replacing the de by ksi. This group includes words whose nominative stem ends in -s.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
osuus osuude-ssa osuuksi-ssa share, part kauneus kauneude-ssa kauneuksi-ssa beauty rakkaus rakkaude-ssa rakkauksi-ssa love teollisuus teollisuude-ssa
teollisuuksi-ssa
industry hyvyys hyvyyde-ssä hyvyyksi-ssä goodness
b) Genitive stem ends in -nne
If the genitive stem ends in -nne, the plural stem is formed by replacing
thenne by nsi. This group includes words whose nominative stem ends in -s or -t.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
kolmas kolmanne-ssa kolmansi-ssa the third neljäs neljänne-ssä neljänsi-ssä the fourth tuhannes
tuhannenne-ssa
tuhannensi-ssa the thousandth
mones monenne-ssa monensi-ssa
tuhat tuhanne-ssa tuhansi-ssa thousand
c) Other words
The plural stem of other words, which end in a consonant or a relic consonant, is formed by replacing the last letter of the genitive stem by the plural markeri. This group does not include new loan words.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
vene venee-ssä venei-ssä boat
laite laittee-ssa laittei-ssa device
koe kokee-ssa kokei-ssa test
avain avaime-ssa avaimi-ssa key sydän sydäme-ssa sydämi-ssä heart tytär tyttäre-ssä tyttäri-ssä daughter sisar sisare-ssa sisari-ssa sister karvas karvaa-ssa karvai-ssa bitter kaunis kaunii-ssa kaunii-ssa nice paras parhaa-ssa parhai-ssa the best kiuas kiukaa-ssa kiukai-ssa sauna heater varis varikse-ssa variksi-ssa crow
ohut ohue-ssa ohui-ssa thin
neitsyt neitsye-ssä neitsyi-ssä virgin
sävel sävele-ssä säveli-ssä note, melody askel askele-ssa askeli-ssa step
askel askelee-ssa askelei-ssa step
d) New loan words
The plural stem of new loan words that end in a consonant is formed by replacing the last i of the genitive stem by e and adding the plural marker iafter it.
Nominative Inessive sg Inessive pl Translation
stadion stadioni-ssa stadionei-ssa stadium radar radari-ssa radarei-ssa radar
3 Usage
The plural stem is used to form the plural of the translative, inessive, elative, adessive, ablative, allative, abessive, and instructive. The following example shows, how case endings are attached to the plural stem.
Case Word Translation
Nominative jalka foot
Translative pl jaloiksi becoming the feet
Inessive pl jaloissa in the feet Elative pl jaloista out of the feet Adessive pl jaloilla on the feet Ablative pl jaloilta from the feet Allative pl jaloille onto the feet Abessive pl jaloitta without the feet Instructive pl jaloin with the feet