Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa.

Technology is sometimes difficult.

Breakdown of Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa.

• olla: to be
• joskus: sometimes
• vaikea: difficult
• tekniikka: the technology

Questions & Answers about Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa.

What does each word in Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa correspond to in English?

Roughly, word by word:

• Tekniikka – technology / engineering / technique (here: technology as a field)
• on – is (3rd person singular present of olla = to be)
• joskus – sometimes
• vaikeaa – difficult / hard (here in the partitive case)

So the structure is literally: “Technology is sometimes difficult.”

Why is it vaikeaa and not vaikea at the end?

Vaikeaa is the partitive singular form of the adjective vaikea (difficult).

After the verb olla (to be), adjectives can appear either:

• in the nominative: vaikea
• or in the partitive: vaikeaa

In sentences like this, where the subject is an abstract “field” or activity (tekniikka, matematiikka, urheilu, lukeminen, etc.), Finnish very often uses the partitive to talk about the quality in a general, non‑limited way:

• Matematiikka on vaikeaa. – Mathematics is difficult.
• Urheilu on hauskaa. – Sport is fun.
• Lukeminen on rentouttavaa. – Reading is relaxing.

So Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa feels natural and idiomatic as a general statement about the field of technology.
Tekniikka on joskus vaikea is grammatically possible but sounds unusual here and would more likely be used only in a very specific, concrete context (see next question).

Could I say Tekniikka on joskus vaikea instead? Would it mean something different?

You can say Tekniikka on joskus vaikea, and it is grammatically correct, but:

• With the nominative (vaikea), it tends to sound like you are treating tekniikka more as a specific, concrete thing that “is difficult” in a more categorical way.
• With the partitive (vaikeaa), it sounds like a broad, general observation about the field/area.

Very roughly:

• Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa.
  → Technology as a field is sometimes difficult (for people, in general).

• Tämä tekniikka on vaikea.
  → This particular technique / this piece of technology is difficult (to use / to understand).

So for the generic, “technology is sometimes difficult” meaning, vaikeaa is by far the more natural choice.

What case is vaikeaa, and when is this form used in general?

Vaikeaa is the partitive singular of vaikea.

Partitive singular for adjectives is used, for example:

1. When the noun itself is in the partitive:

   • Juon kylmää vettä. – I drink cold water.
     (vettä = partitive singular, so kylmää matches it.)

2. As a predicative after olla when the subject is treated as mass/abstract or the quality is seen as non‑complete/indefinite:

   • Sää on tänään huonoa. – The weather is bad today. (general state)
   • Eläminen on kallista. – Living is expensive.
   • Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa. – Technology is sometimes difficult.

In your sentence, vaikeaa is not agreeing with a partitive noun, but is used to express a general, non‑limited quality of an abstract field (tekniikka).

Why is tekniikka singular? In English we sometimes say technologies in the plural.

In Finnish, tekniikka here is treated as a mass/abstract noun—a field of activity or knowledge:

• Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa. – Technology is sometimes difficult.

In this “field” sense, it is normally singular, just like:

• Matematiikka on vaikeaa. – Mathematics is difficult.
• Fysiikka on mielenkiintoista. – Physics is interesting.

You can use plural forms of tekniikka when you really mean several distinct techniques, ways, or styles:

• Maalauksen tekniikat ovat erilaisia. – Painting techniques are different.

But for “technology” in a general sense, the singular tekniikka with on is standard.

Why do we need on? Could Finnish drop the verb like some other languages do?

In standard Finnish, you almost always need the verb olla (to be) in sentences like this. So:

• Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa. – correct
• Tekniikka joskus vaikeaa. – ungrammatical in normal Finnish

There are very short, idiomatic expressions where olla is left out (e.g. Ei hätää, literally “no worry”), but these are fixed phrases. For regular statements like “X is Y”, Finnish keeps on.

Can the word order change? For example: Joskus tekniikka on vaikeaa or Tekniikka on vaikeaa joskus?

Yes, Finnish word order is fairly flexible, and all of these are grammatically correct:

1. Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa.
   (neutral, common word order; “Technology is sometimes difficult.”)

2. Joskus tekniikka on vaikeaa.
   Slight emphasis on sometimes – you start by setting the time frame:
   “Sometimes, technology is difficult.”

3. Tekniikka on vaikeaa joskus.
   Puts a bit more weight on vaikeaa (difficult) first, then adds joskus as a softer limiter. This can sound slightly more “afterthought‑ish” or conversational.

All three mean essentially the same thing; the differences are about emphasis and rhythm, not about grammar.

What is the difference between tekniikka and teknologia?

They overlap, but there is a nuance:

• Tekniikka

  • very common, broad word
  • can mean technology, engineering, technique, technical skill
  • examples:
    • Opiskelen tekniikkaa. – I study engineering/technology.
    • Hänen tekniikkansa on hyvä. – His/her technique is good.

• Teknologia

  • closer to English technology in the sense of technological systems, devices, and their development
  • often used in academic/business contexts:
    • Tietoteknologia – information technology
    • Uusi teknologia – new technology

In your sentence, Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa sounds perfectly natural and idiomatic.
Teknologia on joskus vaikeaa is also possible, but a bit more “academic” or formal in feel.

I’ve seen vaikeata and vaikeeta. How do these relate to vaikeaa?

All three are forms of the same adjective vaikea:

• vaikeaa – standard written Finnish partitive singular
• vaikeata – older / more traditional written form; still correct but less common in modern style
• vaikeeta – colloquial spoken Finnish spelling of vaikeaa/vaikeata

So in writing, for your sentence, use:

• Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa. ✅ (recommended standard)

In informal chat or representing speech, you might see:

• Tekniikka on joskus vaikeeta. (spoken style)

How do you pronounce tekniikka and vaikeaa?

Key points:

1. Double consonant (kk) in tekniikka

   • tekniikka = /tek-niːkːa/
   • The kk is longer than a single k. You briefly “hold” the k sound:
     • teknika (short k) – wrong
     • tekniikka (long kk) – correct

2. Long vowel (ii) in tekniikka

   • ii is a long i-sound, like “ee” held longer:
     • teh-k-NEE-kka (with a long “nee”)

3. Diphthong (ai) and long vowel (aa) in vaikeaa

   • vaikeaa ≈ VAI-ke-aa:
     • vai – like English “why” (one smooth glide from a to i)
     • keaa – ke
       • long aa at the end

Putting it together, spoken naturally:

• Tekniikka on joskus vaikeaa.
  [TEK-niːkːa on YOS-kus VAI-ke-aa]