Learn Hardcore Russian: Этот переводчик работает в офисе.

Я знаю этого переводчика. – I know this translator. (этого переводчика is now object, in the accusative.)
У этого переводчика много работы. – This translator has a lot of work. (genitive after у)

So in Этот переводчик работает в офисе, переводчик must be nominative, because he is the one who works.

Why is it этот переводчик, and how would it change for feminine or plural?

Этот is the masculine nominative singular form of “this”.

Russian has gender and number agreement, so этот changes depending on the noun:

Masculine: этот переводчик – this translator (male or generic)
Feminine: эта переводчица – this female translator
Neuter: это здание – this building
Plural (any gender): эти переводчики – these translators

You choose the form based on the gender and number of the noun:

переводчик – masculine → этот переводчик
офис – masculine → этот офис
компания – feminine → эта компания

What exactly does переводчик mean – translator, interpreter, or a translation device?

In Russian, переводчик is quite broad. It usually means:

A person who translates, either:
- a translator (written texts), or
- an interpreter (spoken language)

The same word is used for both; context tells you which is meant.

It can also mean a translation device/app, for example:
- электронный переводчик – an electronic translator
- онлайн‑переводчик – an online translator tool

In your sentence Этот переводчик работает в офисе, the default understanding is a person with the job of translating.

Why is the verb работает and not something like работают or работаю?

Работает is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb работать (to work).

Conjugation of работать (present tense):

я работаю – I work / am working
ты работаешь – you work (informal)
он / она / оно работает – he / she / it works
мы работаем – we work
вы работаете – you work (formal/plural)
они работают – they work

Your subject is этот переводчик → “he” → он работает.

That’s why the verb is работает, not работаю (“I work”) or работают (“they work”).

How do you say “works at the office” vs “works in an office” in Russian? Does в офисе cover both?

English distinguishes:

in an office (any office, type of workplace)
at the office (the usual workplace, your office)

Russian в офисе can cover both, depending on context.

Этот переводчик работает в офисе.
→ could mean “This translator works in an office” (vs. at home or in a factory)
→ or “This translator works at the office” (his regular workplace)

If you need to be more specific, you add context:

Он работает в нашем офисе. – He works in our office.
Он сейчас в офисе. – He is at the office right now.

But grammatically, в офисе is just “in/at the office” (location).

Why is it в офисе and not в офис? What’s the difference?

The preposition в can take two different cases with two different meanings:

В + prepositional → location (where?)
- в офисе – in the office / at the office (prepositional)
- Переводчик работает в офисе. – The translator works in the office.
В + accusative → direction (to where?)
- в офис – to the office (accusative)
- Он идёт в офис. – He is going to the office.

Your sentence is about where he works (location), so it uses the prepositional case: в офисе.

Why is it в офисе, not something like на офисе? When do you use в and when на?

Both в and на can mean “in/at,” but they are used with different types of places, largely by convention.

в is used with most enclosed spaces / buildings / rooms:
- в офисе – in the office
- в банке – in the bank
- в магазине – in the shop
на is used with some set expressions:
- на работе – at work
- на заводе – at the factory
- на почте – at the post office
- на улице – in the street / outside

For офис, the natural preposition for location is в:

✅ в офисе – correct
❌ на офисе – wrong (would sound like “on top of the office building” literally)

How would I say “This translator is working in the office right now”? Does Russian have a separate progressive form?

Russian does not have a special present progressive tense like English (is working). The same form is used for both works and is working.

To show that it’s happening right now, you usually add a time word like сейчас (now):

Этот переводчик сейчас работает в офисе.
– This translator is working in the office right now.

Without сейчас, Этот переводчик работает в офисе can mean:

He works in the office (generally, as his job), or
He is working in the office (context decides).

Where is the word for “a / the” in “в офисе”? How do you say “in an office” vs “in the office” in Russian?

Russian doesn’t have articles (a, an, the), so в офисе can mean:

in an office
in the office

The difference is understood from context, or clarified with extra words:

в каком‑то офисе – in some office or other
в этом офисе – in this office
в том офисе – in that office

In your sentence, в офисе on its own just means “in (an/the) office,” and the listener uses context to interpret it.

How would I change the sentence if I wanted to say “These translators work in the office”?

You need to make the subject plural and change the verb to match:

Эти переводчики работают в офисе.

Changes:

Этот → Эти (this → these, plural)
переводчик → переводчики (singular → plural)
работает → работают (he works → they work)

The rest (в офисе) stays the same because the location doesn’t change.

How do you pronounce the words in this sentence, and where is the stress?

Approximate pronunciation with stressed syllables in bold:

Э́тот – EH‑tuht (stress on the first syllable)
перево́дчик – pee‑ree‑VOHT‑chik
- е here is like “ye”/“e” in yes / get
- ч is like “ch” in chocolate
рабо́тает – ra‑BOH‑ta‑yet
в о́фисе – v O‑fee‑sye

Putting it together:
Э́тот перево́дчик рабо́тает в о́фисе.

All content words have clear stress; unstressed о often sounds closer to “a,” so to Russian ears it’s different from how English hears it, but the stress positions above are what you need to remember.