Learn Hardcore Finnish: Varmistan, että tulostus menee oikealle tulostimelle. - I make sure that the printing goes to the right printer.

Varmistan is the 1st person singular present tense form (I make sure / I ensure) of the verb varmistaa (to make sure, to ensure, to confirm).

varmistaa → varmistan (I) / varmistat (you) / varmistaa (he/she/it) / varmistamme (we) / varmistatte (you pl.) / varmistavat (they)

Why do we need että, and what role does the clause after it play?

että means that and introduces a content clause: it tells what you are ensuring.

Main clause: Varmistan = I make sure
Content clause: että tulostus menee oikealle tulostimelle = that the print job goes to the correct printer

In Finnish, this että + clause structure is very common after verbs like varmistaa (ensure), tietää (know), luulla (think), toivoa (hope), etc.

Why is there a comma before että?

In standard Finnish punctuation, you usually put a comma before a subordinate clause introduced by että (similar to how English often separates clauses, though English comma rules are different). So: Varmistan, että …

Why is menee in the 3rd person singular, and what is its basic form?

menee is the 3rd person singular present of mennä (to go). It’s 3rd person singular because the subject is tulostus (singular).

mennä → menen (I go) / menet (you go) / menee (he/she/it goes)

What exactly does tulostus mean here—printing, a printout, or a print job?

tulostus is a noun that can refer to printing as a process or (very commonly in IT contexts) a print job / printing output in a general sense. In this sentence it’s used like the print job / the printing as a thing that “goes” to a printer.

Related words you might see:

tulostaminen = the act of printing (more explicitly the process)
tuloste = a printout (the physical output)
tulostustyö = a print job (more explicitly “job”)

Is it normal Finnish to say tulostus menee (“the printing goes”)?

Yes, especially in everyday/IT language it’s common to treat things like jobs, files, messages, etc. as if they go somewhere:

Sähköposti menee perille. = The email gets delivered.
Tiedosto meni väärään kansioon. = The file went into the wrong folder.

So tulostus menee … is natural in that style.

Why does oikealle tulostimelle use the -lle ending, and what case is that?

tulostimelle is in the allative case (-lle), which often expresses movement to/onto something or a destination.

tulostin = printer
tulostimelle = to the printer

Here it marks the destination of menee: where the print job goes.

Why is it oikealle and not oikea or oikean? What is oikealle agreeing with?

oikealle is also in the allative form, and it agrees with tulostimelle (also allative).

oikea = correct/right
oikealle = to the correct/right (one)

In Finnish, adjectives generally match the noun in case and number:

oikea tulostin (nominative) = the correct printer
oikealle tulostimelle (allative) = to the correct printer

Could this be oikeaan tulostimeen instead of oikealle tulostimelle?

Yes, that’s also possible, but it has a slightly different “spatial feel”:

oikealle tulostimelle (allative) = to the printer (often like “to that destination/device”)
oikeaan tulostimeen (illative) = into the printer (more “inside/into”)

With printers (devices), Finnish often prefers allative when treating it as a target endpoint/system: lähettää tulostimelle (send to the printer).

Where is the word for the? How does Finnish show definiteness?

Finnish doesn’t have articles (a/an/the). Definiteness is understood from context. In this sentence, oikealle tulostimelle is naturally interpreted as to the correct printer based on the situation (e.g., a known set of printers).

Is anything “missing” after Varmistan—like an object?

Not necessarily. varmistaa can take:

a noun object: Varmistan asetukset. = I check/ensure the settings.
an että-clause (as here): Varmistan, että … = I make sure that …

So the content clause acts as what you’re ensuring.

Can the word order change, and would it still be correct?

Yes. Finnish word order is flexible, usually changing emphasis. Neutral: Varmistan, että tulostus menee oikealle tulostimelle.
More emphasis on destination: Varmistan, että tulostus menee oikealle tulostimelle, (contrast implied: not the wrong one)
More emphasis on print job: Varmistan, että juuri tämä tulostus menee oikealle tulostimelle. = I make sure that this specific print job goes to the correct printer.

The grammar stays the same; the focus shifts.

How would you say this more formally or more “IT-specifically”?

A couple of common alternatives:

Varmistan, että tulostustyö menee oikealle tulostimelle. (explicitly “print job”)
Varmistan, että asiakirja tulostuu oikealle tulostimelle. = I make sure the document prints on the correct printer.
(Here tulostuu = “gets printed”, a common intransitive/passive-like choice.)