If you look up to work in a dictionary, the first suggestion is probably työskennellä. However, this verb is often used in kind of official situations and in job applications. I don't think I've ever used it in spontaneous speech.
- Haluaisin työskennellä iltaisin ja viikonloppuisin. - I'd like to work evenings and weekends.
- Työskentelin opiskeluaikoinani Hesburgerissa. - I used to work at Hesburger when I was a student.
Olla töissä = to be at work
- Missä sinä olet töissä? - Where do you work?
- En ole tällä hetkellä missään töissä, koska opiskelen. - I don't work anywhere at the moment, because I study.
Tehdä töitä = to do work
- Mä tykkään tehdä töitä kotona. - I like to work at home.
- Tehdään vielä vartti töitä ja mennään sitten tupakalle. - Let's work for fifteen more minutes and then go for a cigarette.
You've probably noticed by now that the noun työ is often used in the plural form. Here are the three internal cases:
Töissä = at work
- Olen töissä, mutta soitan sinulle iltapäivällä. - I'm at work, but I'll call you in the afternoon.
Töistä = from work
Töihin = to work
- Mihin aikaan sinä menet töihin? - At what time do you go to work?
Thank you for this post! I've been following your blog for a while and you made many things much more clear than there were after I studied them at school!
ReplyDeleteThis use of "työ" in the plural form, that's something that has puzzled me for a long time. Why is that, do you know? And are there situations where it is not correct to use it in the plural?
Kiitos! I'm glad if I can help.
ReplyDeleteI know that some textbooks teach the singular forms työssä, työstä, työhön, but I've never heard people using työ like that in the real world when referring to the place where you work. Perhaps the authors think that the singular is easier.
I don't really know the reason for the plural.. maybe there's just so much to do that a singular wouldn't be enough! :) You'd also use the plural when talking about the things you are dealing with at work such as in "Ajattelen töitä koko ajan" (I think about work all the time) and "En koskaan vie töitä kotiin" (I never take work home.)
Singular työ is used in sentences like "Tämä on mun unelmatyö" (This is my dream job) and "Rakastan työtäni" (I love my job).
OK so job in the meaning of "work position" would be in the singular, but any other use would be in the plural, if I understand it right?
DeleteFinnish is a beautiful language, and I mean it. The challenge of learning it even adds to the fun! But when one has questions on any grammar or vocabulary issues, asking regular Finns is no use: they'll answer "I don't know, it's just like that". So your blog is exactly what I was looking for! Keep up the good work, and paljon kiitoksia!
Kiitos paljon blogista! Mä olen ranskalainen, hauska tavata! Tämä blogi on niin hyödyllinen minulle. Mä olen töissä lapissa marraskuussa ja mä tarvitsen harjoitella suomea! Tiedätko ketään jolle voisin usein lähettää pieniä teksteja suomeksi ja hän voisi sanoa jos se on juuri... Anteeksi jos sä et osaa lukea minua ;D
ReplyDeleteKiitos taas!
Quentin
Hei Quentin, kiva kuulla! Sä voisit esim. etsiä kielikaveria Finland Forumista http://www.finlandforum.org/viewforum.php?f=9 tai olla yhteydessä ranskan kielen ja kulttuurin opiskelijoihin. https://sites.google.com/a/student.jyu.fi/asterix/
ReplyDeleteOnko muilla ehdotuksia?
Työskentelin opiskeluaikoinani Hesburgerissa. - I used to work at Hesburger when I was a student. Can I also say :työskentelin Hesburgerissa opiskellana?
ReplyDeleteTyöskentelin Hesburgerissa opiskelijana =kun olin opiskelija.
DeleteSo how would you actually form a sentence like "I work as a truckdriver" or "I'm driving a truck at work"?
ReplyDeleteI can't even try right now :p
Just use olla + the profession. In spoken language, that would be "Olen rekkakuski." I actually had to google the official term, and that would be "yhdistelmäajoneuvon kuljettaja". I'm driving a truck.= Ajan rekkaa. = Ajan yhdistelmäajoneuvoa.
ReplyDelete