Learn Finnish: Emme voi porata, kun sähkömies työskentelee täällä. - We cannot drill when the electrician is working here.

Yes! You could say Emme saa porattua, which emphasizes the hindrance: 'We aren't able to get the drilling done' or 'We can't manage to drill.' Using Emme voi porata simply states the plain fact that we cannot do it.

Why is the word for 'here' täällä rather than tässä?

Täällä is used for a general area, like a room, a house, or a worksite. Tässä refers to a very specific, narrow spot, like 'right exactly where I am pointing.' Since the electrician is working in the general vicinity, täällä is the natural choice.

Could we say sähkömies tekee töitä instead of sähkömies työskentelee?

Absolutely. Työskennellä and tehdä töitä both mean to work. Työskennellä often sounds just a little bit more formal or focuses on the continuous state of working at a certain location, but they are highly interchangeable in everyday speech.

Is the word sähkömies used for female electricians too?

Yes, in everyday language. Words ending in -mies (man), like sähkömies (electrician) or palomies (firefighter), are traditionally used regardless of the worker's gender. However, official job titles now prefer gender-neutral terms like sähköasentaja (electrical installer).