In this article, you can find out more about the situations in which you use the relative pronoun joka, ie. the joka-pronomini. The aim of this article is to give you more of an idea of the reasons to use a specific form of joka, such as jonka or joita.

1. What is the relative pronoun joka?

Relative pronouns are used to start a subordinate clause (a “side-sentence”, sivulause). The relative pronoun joka always refers to the word right in front of it. It gives some extra information about the word it refers to. In this article you can find more basic information about the joka-pronomini.

Joka-pronomini in its different forms gets translated as “who”, “whom” and “whose”, as well as “that” and “which” in English.

In this article, I’ve combined the singular and plural forms in most of the sections below. This makes sense for most cases because the singular and plural are used in the exact same situations. However, some situations specifically are used in either the singular or the plural. Pay attention to this when you read further.

In the tables below, I use the letter S for singular and the letter P for plural.

2. Genitive – Singular: jonka / Plural: joiden

2.1. Jonka / joiden used to express ownership

One situation where we use the genitive case is to express ownership. We can use jonka (singular) and joiden (plural) to express the person who owns something; ie. when we’re expressing “whose” something is. In addition, we can use jonka and joiden to express “of which” a thing is.

Take a look, for example, at the combination of the sentences “Mies tulee” and “Miehen tukka on ruskea” in the table below.

2.2. Jonka used in object sentences

When the relative pronoun refers to the total object of a sentence, you will use the genitive case jonka. Verbs that get a total object are, for example, avata, sulkea, ostaa, ottaa, myydä, lainata, tavata and muistaa. Take a look, for example, at the combination of the sentences “Ovi on sininen” and “Avasin oven” in the table below.

Plural objects won’t be inflected in the plural genitive in this situation! Rather, the T-plural is used for plural total objects. The sentences “Ovet ovat sinisiä” and “Avasin ovet” get combined into “Ovet, jotka avasin, ovat sinisiä” ie. “The doors [which I opened] are blue”.

2.3. Jonka / joiden used with postpositions

When the word joka is used with a postposition, you will use jonka in the singular and joiden in the plural. Common postpositions are, for example, takana, edessä, vieressä, kanssa and alla. Take a look, for example, at the combination of the sentences “Talo on pelottava.” and “Talon takana on hauta.” in the table below.

2.4. Jonka / joiden used in necessity sentences

All necessity sentence types require the subject of the sentence who must do something to appear in the genitive case. Take a look, for example, at the combination of the sentences “Poika myöhästyi” and “Pojan piti herätä aikaisin” in the table below.

3. Partitive – Singular: jota / Plural: joita

3.1. Jota / joita used in negative object sentences

The object of a negative sentence will be inflected in the partitive case. The object in the sentence “Luin kirjan” will become partitive when you make the sentence negative: “En lukenut kirjaa“. Thus, the combination of the sentences “Kirja on pöydällä” and “En lukenut kirjaa” will become “Kirja, jota en lukenut, on pöydällä“.

3.2. Jota / joita used with partitive verbs

There are verbs in Finnish which always require their object to be inflected in the partitive case. We call these verbs partitive verbs. Common examples of such verbs are rakastaa, odottaa and pelata. Check out how the sentences “Tyttö asuu Suomessa” and “Rakastan tyttöä” are combined in the table below using jota.

3.3. Jota / Joita used with prepositions

Finnish prepositions are usually used in combination with the partitive case. In the table below, I’ve combined the sentences “Tyttö rakastaa minua” and “En voi elää ilman tyttöä” using the relative pronoun jota.

3.4. Jota used with mass nouns

Mass nouns are nouns which describe things you can’t count other than in e.g. grams or liters. When used as the object of a sentence, these nouns usually are inflected in the partitive case. In the table below, you can see how the object sentence “Juon kahvia.” is embedded into the sentence “Kahvi on liian kuumaa.” using the relative pronoun’s partitive form jota.

3.5. Jota used with irresultative phrases

When you’re currently in the process of doing an action to an object, you will inflect the object in the partitive case. For example, “Luen kirjaa” expresses that I’m currently in the process of reading it, while “Luin kirjan” expresses that I read the whole book. Check the table below to see how the sentences “Luen kirjaa” and “Kirja on pitkä” are combined using jota.

3.6. Joita used with unspecified amounts

In plural sentences, we can use joita to express that the verb is only referring to a partial amount of the plural it is referring to. The pronoun joita replaces a word inflected in the plural partitive.

For example, we could talk about the price of strawberries and add the information that I sometimes buy some of those. To express this, we combine the sentences “Mansikat ovat kalliita” and “Minä ostan mansikoita silloin tällöin” The resulting sentence is in the table below.

4. Basic form – Using joka in a sentence

4.1. Joka used for the subject of a sentences

The pronoun joka in its basic form can replace the singular subject of a sentence. For example, the first example in the table below is a combination of the sentences “Lapsi nauraa” and “Lapsi leikkii ulkona”

4.2. Joka used for objects

In some sentences, total objects are inflected in the basic form rather than the genitive case. This is true for passive sentences and necessity sentences. While we say, for example, “Minä myyn kaapin” using the genitive case, we use the basic form of the object in the passive “Me myydään kaappi” and necessity sentences “Minun täytyy myydä kaappi“. In these sentences, we will also use the basic form joka rather than jonka.

5. T-plural – Using jotka in a sentence

5.1. Jotka used for the plural subject of a sentences

When the subject of your sentence is inflected in the T-plural, you will use jotka to combine it to another sentence. The first sentences in the table below, for example, is a combination of the sentences “Tytöt saavat täydet pisteet” and “Tytöt tekevät läksynsä”

5.2. Jotka used for plural objects

When a sentence has a plural object which refers to all the objects of such type, you will use the T-plural. The first sentence in the table below, for example, is a combination of the sentences “Talot ovat moderneja” and “Talot rakennettiin tänne” We’re referring to all the houses that were built here.

6. Adessive – Singular: jolla / Plural: joilla

6.1. Jolla /joilla used to express being at a place

Some locations will require the adessive case‘s -lla case ending when you say you’re at that place. This is the case, for example, for piha, kioski and bussipysäkki. You will need jolla when embedding a sentence such as “Viihdyn pihalla” into the sentence “Haluan luoda pihan” in the table below.

6.2. Jolla / joilla used to express a location on top of something

When something is on top of something, you use the adessive case ending -lla. When you embed a sentence with this ending into another sentence, you will use jolla in the singular or joilla in the plural. This is the case, for example, for the sentence “Pöydällä on pino kirjoja” when it’s embedded into the sentence “Pöytä tuli Ikeasta” in the table below.

6.3. Jolla / joilla used to express having something

The minulla on –sentence construction is used to say someone has something. When you replace the “minulla” part of said sentence, you will need to use jolla in the singular and joilla in the plural. Take a look, for example, at the combination of the sentences “Tuo mies on joulupukki” and  “Tuolla miehellä on pitkä parta” in the table below.

6.4. Jolla / joilla used for tools and transportation

We use the adessive case to express with what tool, machine or instrument something is done. The first example in the table below is a combination of the sentences “Auto on BMW” and “Ajan autolla töihin“.

6.5. Jolla / joilla used with rections

There are some verbs which need the adessive case for their rection. The verbs leikkiä, kerskailla, korvata and pelotella are examples of such verbs. When we embed the sentence “Maija leikki lelulla” into the sentence “Lelu oli hänen veljensä“, we use jolla, as you can see in the table below.

7. Ablative – Singular: jolta / Plural: joilta

7.1. Jolta / joilta used to express leaving a place

Places like kioski, asema and piha require the ablative case ending (-lta/ltä) when you express leaving the place. In the table below, you can see how the sentence “Lähdimme aamulla pihalta” has been embedded into the sentence “Piha on suuri” using jolta. When there’s a movement away from several of these places, you’ll use the plural joilta.

7.2. Jolta / joilta used to express movement off of something

When something is removed from the top off of something, you normally use the ablative case‘s ending -lta/ltä. Embedding a sentence with such an element into another sentence means you’ll use jolta in the singular and joilta in the plural. For example, when we embed “Otin tämän kirjan pöydältä” into the sentence “Pöytä on nurkassa“, we get the first sentence in the table below.

7.3. Jolta / joilta used to answer the question keneltä

When you receive (saada), buy (ostaa) or otherwise acquire something from a person, we will use the jolta form in compound sentences. Take for example, the combined result of the sentences “Ystävä on ihana” and “Sain lahjan ystävältä” in the table below.

7.4. Jolta / joilta used with perceptional verbs

Perceptional verbs express what something feels, smells, looks, sounds or tastes like. They are related to the senses. These verbs can either be used with the -lta or the -lle form. For example, the perceptional sentence “Näytät julkkikselta.” and “Julkkis on TV:ssä.” have been combined in the table below using jolta. We could use jolle just as well.

8. Allative – Singular: jolle / Plural: joille

8.1. Jolle / joille used to express going to a place

Places like kioski, asema and piha require the -lle case ending (the allative case) when you express going to the place. In the table below, for example, I’ve combined the sentences “Kävelen asemalle” and “Asema on lyhyen matkan päässä” using jolle.

8.2. Jolle / joille used to express movement to the top of something

When you step onto something, or put something on a surface, you will use the allative case (-lle). When embedding a sentence with the allative case into another sentence, you will use jolle in the singular and joille in the plural. For example, the first sentence of the table below consists of “Matto oli vielä märkä” with the sentence “Astuin matolle” inserted into it.

8.3. Jolle / joille used to answer the question kenelle

Certain verbs require the allative case‘s marker -lle to express to whom something is told, given, sold or given. These sentences answer to the question word kenelle. Take a look at how the sentence “Myin tuotteen asiakkaalle” has been embedded into the sentence “Asiakas on tyytyväinen” in the table below.

8.4. Jolle / joille used with rections

Certain verbs will usually be used in combination with the allative case (the mille-form). This is the case, for example, for tallentaa and nauraa. In the table below, the sentence “Pomo maksaa palkkani tilille” has been embedded into the sentence “Käytän tiliä“.

9. Inessive – Singular: jossa / Plural: joissa

9.1. Jossa used to express being inside

The most basic way of using the missä-form (the inessive case) is to express that something is inside of something. In the table below, the sentence “Kävelen metsässä” has been embedded in the sentence “Metsä on kaunis“.

9.2. Jossa / joissa used to express close attachment

The inessive case marker -ssa/ssä is also used when something is attached to something else. A ring will be in a finger, a pen will be in your hand and tires will be in your car.

In English, jossa and joissa will usually be translated as “which has”.

9.3. Jossa used with rections

There is a small number of verbs with a missä-rection. These are verbs that require the word connected to them to appear in the missä-form (the inessive case). We could consider asua to be such a verb, but this section is reserved for verbs where the word connected to them isn’t a location. These are more abstract ways to use the missä-form.

10. Elative – Singular: josta / Plural: joista

10.1. Josta / joista used to express movement away from

The most basic use of the mistä-form (the elative case) is to express a movement away from somewhere. In the table below, I’ve used the verbs muuttaa, tulla and paeta to make sentences with josta in the singular and joista in the plural. For example, the sentence “Muutin pois kaupungista” has been combined with the question “Tunnetko kaupungin?” as you can see in the table below.

10.2. Josta / joista used to express something deattaching

The elative case marker -sta/stä is also used when removing something which is attached to something else. “Otan sormuksen sormesta“, “Lasi putosi kädestä” and “Maali lähtee autosta” are some good examples of this.

10.3. Josta / joista used with rections

Some verbs require the noun connected to it to be inflected in the mistä-form. This is referred to with the term verb rection. Common verbs that require the mistä-form are tykätä, kertoa and riidellä. For example, in the table below, I’ve combined the sentences “Mies osti auton” and “Kerron eilen miehestä“.

11. Illative – Singular: johon / Plural: joihin

11.1. Johon / joihin used to express movement towards

The illative case of joka is johon in the singular and joihin in the plural. The most basic use of the illative case is to express a movement towards something. Check the table below to see how the sentence “Matkustan kaupunkiin” has been embedded into the sentence “Kaupunki on vanha“.

11.2. Johon / joihin rections

Some verbs’ rection requires the mihin-form (the illative case). This is the case, for example, for the verbs tutustua, luottaa and kyllästyä. In the table below, the sentence “Tutustuin tyttöön koulussa” has been embedded into the sentence “Tyttö on fiksu“, using johon because tutustua requires the mihin-form.

12. Translative – Singular: joksi / Plural: joiksi in a sentence

12.1. Joksi / joiksi used with rections

There are some verbs which require the word that’s connected to them to appear in the translative case: translative verb rections. While there are fairly many verbs like this, thinking up short examples to put in these tables has proven difficult! The first example in the table is a combination of the sentences “Prinssi muuttui sammakoksi” and “Suutelin sammakkoa“.

13. Essive – Singular: jona / Plural: joina

13.1. Jona / joina used with rections

There is a number of verbs which require the word attached to them to be inflected in the essive case. This includes, for example, the verbs toimia, pysyä and työskennellä. My example sentences are quite awkward here. It’s been a struggle coming up with short examples to fit these tables!

13.2. Jona / joina used with expressions of time

By far the most common are situations where jona and joina refer to a time span (ie. vuotena, päivänä, aikana, vuosina, iltoina).

Related posts:

The Relative Pronoun Joka – Joka-pronomini Joku Jokin – Jotakuta Jollakin – Finnish Pronouns Finnish Question Words – Interrogative Pronouns Pronouns – Pronominit – Finnish Grammar