Questions & Answers about Kirja on täällä tai kotona.
Why use tai here instead of vai for "or"?
In Finnish, there are two words for "or". tai is used in regular statements, while vai is used in questions when you are asking someone to choose between options. Because this sentence is a statement, we must use tai.
Why is "at home" kotona instead of using a normal location ending like -ssa or -lla?
koti (home) is a special word in Finnish. To say "at home", it uses an older, irregular ending -na to become kotona, rather than the standard location endings you usually see.
Could I use tässä instead of täällä for "here"?
You could, but it changes the meaning slightly. täällä means "around here" in a general area or building, which contrasts well with being at home. tässä means exactly right here in a specific spot, like on the table directly in front of you.
Do I need to repeat the verb and say tai on kotona?
No, you can leave out the second verb just like in English. The conjunction tai can simply link the two location words (täällä and kotona) together without needing to repeat on.
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