TRANSLATIVE

[Jnɨɨñɨ]

The translative generally expresses a state, property, function or position into which something or someone enters, or the end point of a movement or change.

So why is translative correct in the following sentences?:

1. Tämä riittää perustelu/ksi. (This suffices as an explanation.)
I would have used Essive (perustelu/na)

2. Auli luuli minua norjalaise/ksi. (Auli thought me a Norwegian.)
I would have used Essive (norjalaise/na)

3. Turkua sanotaan vanha/ksi kaupungi/ksi. (Turku is said to be an old city.)
I would have used either nominative or essive (vanha/na, kaupinki/na; vanha, kaupunki)

4. Vennamoa ei saa kutsua idiooti/ksi. (Vennamo must not be called an idiot.)
I would have used either Essive (idiooti/na) or Nominative (Idiooti)

5. Nouse ylemmä/ksi! (Get up higher!)
Just nominative: Ylempä

Paljon kiitoksia!

[MillMaths]

Sometimes it’s just the the way languages work. Finnish and English express certain things in different ways. Perhaps, for the first sentence

1. Tämä riittää perustelu/ksi. (This suffices as an explanation.)

if you translate into English as "This suffices for an explanation", you might see that the translative makes a bit more sense.

[Miumau]

Well, as Sophie said, you just shouldn't think about it in terms of English This is just the way things are expressed in Finnish. You could think about many of your examples expressing the result of some process.
Also remember that objects must be in either accusative (genitive) or partitive, nominative is not possible.

5. Nouse ylemmä/ksi! (Get up higher!)
Just nominative: Ylempä

Note on this one: the root word is the adjective "ylempi", meaning "a/the higher one". It's actually a comparative form; the superlative is "ylin" (the highest one). The positive form does not exist.

Here the translative/essive distinction is clear: ylemmäksi/ylemmäs (into a higher position; expresses movement), ylempänä (in/on a higher position; expresses a static state).

So the sentence clearly expresses a direction, entering a higher state, so translative is quite logical here, no?

[Jnɨɨñɨ]

Well, as Sophie said, you just shouldn't think about it in terms of English (or of any other languages)

Thank you both!
That's right.

Even though comparing Finnish to other languages will often come in handy:

For instance: word structure.
a) Finnish
-iso/ssa = isossa (meaning.: "in the big")
-kukka/ni = kukkani (meaning: "my flower")

b) Mixtec
-iso/sa = isosa (meaning: "my rabbit")
-kuka/ni = kukani (meaning: "your comb")

Finnish is a different language and therefore has it's own "fixed" expresions and rules.