Tulostin ei tulosta toimistossa.

The printer does not print in the office.

Breakdown of Tulostin ei tulosta toimistossa.

• -ssa: in
• ei: not
• toimisto: the office
• tulostin: the printer
• tulostaa: to print

Questions & Answers about Tulostin ei tulosta toimistossa.

What case is “toimistossa,” and what does it mean?

It’s the inessive case, marked by the ending -ssa/-ssä, and it means “in” something. So toimistossa = “in the office.” The choice -ssa (not -ssä) follows vowel harmony because “toimisto” has back vowels (o).

Why is it “ei tulosta” and not “ei tulostaa”?

Finnish negation uses the negative verb ei (which conjugates for person) plus the main verb in its “connegative” form (no personal ending). For 3rd person singular:

• Affirmative: tulostaa (“prints”)
• Negative: ei tulosta (“does not print”) Other persons: en/et/ei/emme/ette/eivät + tulosta.

What are the parts of the sentence, grammatically?

• Tulostin: subject, nominative singular (“printer”).
• ei: negative verb, 3rd person singular.
• tulosta: connegative form of the verb “tulostaa” (“to print”).
• toimistossa: adverbial of place, inessive case (“in the office”).

Could “Tulostin” mean “I printed”? How do I know it’s “printer” here?

Yes, tulostin can also be “I printed” (past tense, 1st person). Here it must be the noun because it’s followed by ei tulosta, which is a present-tense 3rd-person negation. If it were “I printed,” you’d expect a sentence like Minä tulostin or a different negative past form: En tulostanut.

Is Finnish missing an article here? Is it “a printer” or “the printer”?

Finnish has no articles. Tulostin can mean either “a printer” or “the printer,” depending on context. The English article is supplied by context, not grammar.

What’s the difference between “toimistossa” and “toimistolla”?

• toimistossa = “in the office” (physically inside the room/building).
• toimistolla (adessive) = “at the office” as a site of activity or workplace. Both can be natural, but the nuance differs. If you mean “at work,” toimistolla is common.

Can I move “toimistossa” elsewhere in the sentence?

Yes. Neutral word order puts place adverbials at the end, but you can front them for emphasis: Toimistossa tulostin ei tulosta (focusing on the location). Word order is flexible; moving elements changes emphasis, not core meaning.

Does “tulostaa” need an object? There isn’t one here.

With devices as subjects, tulostaa is commonly used intransitively: Tulostin (ei) tulosta = “The printer (doesn’t) print.” If you include an object, case matters:

• Affirmative total object: Tulostin tulostaa asiakirjan (“prints the document”).
• Negative/partial: Tulostin ei tulosta asiakirjaa/asiakirjoja.

How would I say “The printers don’t print in the office”?

Pluralize the subject and the negative verb: Tulostimet eivät tulosta toimistossa.

How do I say it in the past: “The printer didn’t print in the office”?

Use the negative verb plus the past participle (connegative past): Tulostin ei tulostanut toimistossa. Plural: Tulostimet eivät tulostaneet toimistossa.

How do I say “The printer is not printing right now”?

Finnish has no separate continuous tense. Use the present with a time adverbial: Tulostin ei tulosta juuri nyt / tällä hetkellä / parhaillaan.

What’s the difference between “ei tulosta” and “ei toimi”?

• ei tulosta: “doesn’t print” (specifically the printing function fails).
• ei toimi: “doesn’t work/operate” (the device isn’t functioning at all). You choose based on what’s wrong.

Any pronunciation tips for these words?

• Stress the first syllable: TU-lostin, TOI-mis-tos-sa.
• Double consonants are long: -ss- in toimistossa.
• ei is a diphthong like “ey” in “they.” Vowels are pure; keep them distinct.

Is there a more colloquial word for “printer” than “tulostin”?

Yes, printteri is common in speech. Tulostin is standard/formal. Note kirjoitin can mean “typewriter” or, in some contexts, “printer,” but today it usually suggests a typewriter.

How does “tulostin” decline? I want to refer to “the printer’s” something.

Key forms:

• Nominative: tulostin (printer)
• Genitive: tulostimen (printer’s)
• Partitive: tulostinta Example: tulostimen muste = “the printer’s ink.”

Why is it “ei” and not “eivät” here?

Because the subject Tulostin is singular. For a plural subject (Tulostimet), the negative verb is eivät: Tulostimet eivät tulosta…

Could I replace “tulostin” with a pronoun?

Yes, if the referent is clear from context: Se ei tulosta toimistossa = “It doesn’t print in the office.” Without prior context, keep tulostin.

Can I drop the subject and just say “Ei tulosta toimistossa”?

You can, but it becomes impersonal/vague: “(There’s) no printing in the office / It doesn’t print in the office.” Use this only if the subject is obvious from context or you want a general statement.