Essive case
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The essive or similaris case carries the meaning of a temporary state of being, often equivalent to the English "as a...".
In the Finnish language, this case is marked by adding "-na/-nä" to the stem of the noun. Example: "lapsi" -> "child", "lapsena" -> "as a child", "when (I) was a child".
This case also exists in Russian, where it appears as the instrumental case. For example, "Я работаю переводчиком" (Ya rabotayu perevodchikom) means "I work as a translator" (contrast this with "я - переводчик" (Ya - perevodchik), which means "I'm a translator").
- (Logically speaking, the profession is the mean by which one does his or her job, hence the reason it's deployed in the instrumental case.)
- Luen lehtiä kotona. "I read newspapers at home." If you use the inessive, kodissani, you contrast to reading them in the garage (a physical location) instead.
- Kodissani tehdään remonttia. "In my home, a renovation is underway."
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