Loppu Lopussa Loppuun Lopuksi

In each of the chapters below, we will be looking at one specific inflection of the word loppu at a time: loppu, lopussa, loppuun, lopuksi. Each has their own use, making them a little confusing to learners of Finnish.

Table of Contents

Lopussa – Inessive
1. Phrasal verbs with lopussa
2. Lopussa as a postposition
Loppuun – Illative
Loput – T-plural
Lopulta – Ablative
Lopuksi – Translative
Nouns with loppu

1. Lopussa – Inessive

1.1. Phrasal Verbs with Lopussa

A phrasal verb is a verb that’s used combination with an adverb to express something different than the verb on its own (e.g. in English “to use up”, “to go down”, “to take out”). The inessive form of loppu is used to say that something has run out or has been used up. As an adverb on its own, it’s only used with the verb olla.

Lopussa is interesting when compared to loppu, because in some cases, loppu and lopussa can both be used in a phrase. In these cases, lopussa usually means that something is about to run out, while loppu means it has run out completely. This distinction is especially common in spoken language.

Example	Translation
Kahvi on lopussa.	The coffee is about to run out.
Kahvi on loppu.	The coffee is up.
Käsidesit on loppu. (pic)	(We’re) out of hand sanitizers.
Tulostimen paperi on lopussa.	The printer’s paper is near its end.
Tulostimen paperi on loppu.	The printer’s paper is up.
Kärsivällisyyteni alkoi olla lopussa	My patience was starting to run out.
Olen aivan lopussa	I’m exhausted.

1.2. Lopussa as a postposition

The word loppu can be used as a postposition to indicate the end of something. This very common with expressions of time (end of the year, the month, the day), but it can be used more widely.

Example	Translation
Kokoonnutaan vuoden lopussa.	Let’s meet at the end of the year.
Lomani päättyy elokuun lopussa.	My vacation ends at the end of August.
Olin uupunut päivän lopussa.	I was exhausted at the end of the day.
Lauseen lopussa on piste.	There’s a period at the end of the sentence.
Ottelun lopussa hän lyyhistyi.	At the end of the match he collapsed.
Sanan lopussa on vokaali.	There’s a vowel at the end of the word.

2. Loppuun – Illative

2.1. Phrasal Verbs with Loppuun

The illative form of loppu is pretty common with all kinds of verbs. In English, loppuun can be translated many ways, because these are phrasal verbs. Some possible translations are “up”, “out” and “over”.

Phrase	Example	Translation
myydä loppuun	Konsertti myytiin loppuun tunnissa.	The concert was sold out in an hour.
syödä loppuun	Syö nyt loppuun, niin päästään lähtemään.	Eat up now, so we can leave.
tehdä loppuun	Älä jätä asioita kesken; tee ne loppuun!	Don’t leave things; complete them!
palaa loppuun	Anja, 25, paloi loppuun töissä.	Anja, 25, burned out at work.
käyttää loppuun	En käyttänyt huulipunaa loppuun.	I didn’t use the lipstick all the way.
puhua loppuun	Anna minun puhua loppuun.	Let me finish what I’m saying.
lukea loppuun	Sain Heinleinin kirjan luettua loppuun.	I read Heinlein’s book to the end.
viedä loppuun	Armeija vie sotatoimensa loppuun.	The army concludes its military action.
saattaa loppuun	Saatamme loppuun sen, minkä aloitimme.	We’ll bring to a close what we started.
käsitellä loppuun	Tämä asia on nyt käsitelty loppuun!	This matter has now been dealt with!
maksaa loppuun	Maksoin opintolainani loppuun.	I finished paying my student loan.
kulua loppuun	Akku kuluu loppuun päivässä.	The battery runs out in a day.
miettiä loppuun	Et ole miettinyt tätä loppuun.	You haven’t thought this through.

The verbs listed in the table are used often and have in some cases become more abstract. In addition to this, Finns may employ loppuun with less common phrases. For example, you could say “neulo kerros loppuun” (Finish knitting the row) or “Syreenit olivat jo kukkineet loppuun” (The lilacs had already finished blossoming). These are not common phrases, but they do sound natural.

2.2. Loppuun asti, saakka, mennessä

Many verbs that you can come across with loppuun are more natural when you add “asti” or “saakka” to it (kuunnella loppuun asti, päästä loppuun asti). In these cases, loppuun isn’t an independent adverb.

Example	Translation
Se kestää vuoden loppuun asti.	It will last until the end of the year.
Se tulee markkinoihin vuoden loppuun mennessä.	It will be on the market by the end of the year.
Minua jännitti ottelun loppuun saakka.	I was tense until the end of the match.

3. Loput – T-plural

Loput can be used to express the last of something, the rest. In the phrases below, loput is used as an independent entity, but in these phrases the context will always tell you the rest of what. For example in “saanko syödä loput”, we could learn from the context if it’s the rest of the strawberries, the cookies or the casserole.

Example	Translation
Saanko syödä loput?	Can I eat the rest?
Maksan loput myöhemmin.	I’ll pay the rest later.
Menetin loputkin rahoistani.	I lost even the last of my money.
Yritys hoitaa loput.	The company takes care of the rest.
Otan yhden ja sinä otat loput.	I take one and you take the rest.

4. Lopulta – Ablative

The word lopulta has one one meaning: finally, at long last.

Example	Translation
Lopulta onnistuimme.	We finally succeeded.
Lopultakin hän tuli.	The came at long last.

5. Lopuksi – Translative

Lopuksi has two meanings. Firstly, it can mean finally, eventually, at last. In this context, it often appear as part of the phrase loppujen lopuksi (at the very end, when all is said and done.) It can also be used as a phrase within a speech or paper to draw a conclusion at the end: ensiksi, toiseksi, lopuksi.

Example	Translation
Täytä lopuksi vielä itsearviointilomake.	Finally, complete the self-assessment form.
Tee lopuksi naruun uusi solmu.	Finally, make a new knot in the string.
Hän lopuksi sai tikun syttymään.	He eventually got the stick to burn.
Hän palasi lopuksi kotiin.	He returned home at long last.

6. Nouns with loppu

In addition to loppu, lopussa, loppuun, lopuksi being a word on their own, loppu can also be used in compound words. Below, you can find some very common compound words.

Finnish	English
loppukesä	the rest of the summer
loppusyksy	the end of autumn
loppumatka	the rest of the trip
loppupäivä	the rest of the day
loppuunmyynti	the end of the sale
loppukohtaus	the finale
loppuhuipennus	the grand finale
loppusumma	the total price, sum
loppukiri	the final sprint
lopputaipale	the final stretch
loppupäätelmä	the final conclusion
loppuraportti	the final report
lopputarkastus	the final inspection
lopputili	the final account
loppuvaihe	the final phase
lopputuote	the final product

Finnish	English
maailmanloppu	end of the world, apocalypse
viikonloppu	weekend
äkkiloppu	sudden and brutal end
loppusointu	rhyme
loppusuora	homestretch
lopputulos	the result
loppukoe	final exam
lopputyö	final assignment
loppuosa	the remainder
loppupiste	end point
loppupuoli	the latter half
loppunäytös	epilogue
loppukäyttäjä	end user

We have made it to the end of the article, which is the perfect place to add two Finnish sayings:

“Loppu hyvin, kaikki hyvin.”
- Translation: The end well, all well.
- Explanation: All’s well that ends well.
“(Alku on aina hankala,) lopussa kiitos seisoo”
- Translation: The beginning is always hard, but in the end stands thanks.
- Explanation: good things will come to those who work for them.