§ What 'tuo' means
- DEFINITION
- In English, 'tuo' means 'that'. It's used when referring to something that is further away from both the speaker and the listener.
'Tuo' is a demonstrative pronoun, which means it points to specific things. In Finnish, these pronouns change their endings depending on their role in a sentence (case). Don't worry, we'll keep it simple for now and focus on the basic use.
§ How to use 'tuo' in a sentence
The easiest way to understand 'tuo' is to see it in action. Think of it like pointing to something that's not right next to you or the person you're talking to.
- BASIC USAGE
- Use 'tuo' to point out a single item that is distant from both speakers.
Tuo on kirja.
This literally means 'That is book.' In natural English, it's 'That is a book.' Remember, Finnish often doesn't use articles like 'a' or 'the'.
Kuka tuo nainen on?
'Who that woman is?' or 'Who is that woman?' Here, 'tuo' directly describes 'nainen' (woman).
§ 'Tuo' with other words
'Tuo' often appears before the noun it modifies. It acts like an adjective in these cases, but technically it's still a pronoun.
Minä pidän tuosta autosta.
'I like that car.' Here, 'tuosta' is the elative case of 'tuo'. Why? Because the verb 'pitää' (to like) requires the elative case (-sta/-stä) for the object you like. Don't stress too much about the cases yet; just notice how 'tuo' changes.
Mennäänkö tuohon kauppaan?
'Shall we go to that shop?' 'Tuohon' is the illative case of 'tuo'. The verb 'mennä' (to go) typically uses the illative case (-an/-än, -seen/-hön) to indicate movement into something.
§ Common phrases with 'tuo'
Here are a few more simple examples to help you get comfortable:
- FINNISH
- Katso tuota lintua!
'Look at that bird!' (Here 'tuota' is the partitive case, often used after verbs of looking.)
- FINNISH
- Mikä on tuon talon nimi?
'What is the name of that house?' (Here 'tuon' is the genitive case, showing possession.)
Practice using 'tuo' when you're pointing to something that's not quite within arm's reach. The more you use it, the more natural it will become.
§ Understanding 'tuo' in Context
The word 'tuo' is a fundamental Finnish pronoun, and it means 'that'. It's used when you're referring to something or someone a bit further away from both the speaker and the listener. Think of it as the Finnish equivalent of 'that' when you're pointing to an object across the room, or mentioning a person who isn't immediately present. Mastering 'tuo' is crucial for basic conversations and understanding directions or descriptions in Finnish.
§ 'Tuo' at Work and School
In a professional or academic setting, 'tuo' appears frequently. You might hear it in meetings, during presentations, or when discussing documents or objects.
- DEFINITION
- Referring to a specific object or document further away.
Voitko antaa minulle tuo raportti pöydältä?
Can you give me that report from the table?
Onko tuo sinun reppusi?
Is that your backpack?
§ 'Tuo' in Everyday News and Conversations
When listening to Finnish news or participating in casual conversations, 'tuo' is often used to refer to events, ideas, or people that are being discussed but are not physically present or immediately observable.
- DEFINITION
- Referring to a previously mentioned topic or person.
Mitä mieltä olet tuo uusi laki?
What do you think about that new law?
Kuulin tuo tarinan eilen.
I heard that story yesterday.
§ Common Phrases with 'Tuo'
Here are a few common phrases where 'tuo' is essential:
Mikä tuo on? (What is that?)
Kuka tuo on? (Who is that?)
Tuo on hyvä idea. (That is a good idea.)
Understanding these basic uses of 'tuo' will significantly boost your comprehension in everyday Finnish interactions.
How Formal Is It?
""
"Tuo kirja on mielenkiintoinen. (That book is interesting.)"
"Toi on hyvä idea! (That's a good idea!)"
"Toma pallo on kiva. (That ball is nice.)"
"Mitä toi tyyppi tekee? (What is that guy doing?)"
स्तर के अनुसार उदाहरण
Tuo on hyvä idea.
That is a good idea.
Kuka tuo mies on?
Who is that man?
Osta tuo kirja.
Buy that book.
Pidän tuosta talosta.
I like that house.
Katso tuota lintua!
Look at that bird!
Menen tuonne huomenna.
I'm going there tomorrow.
Tuo on minun autoni.
That is my car.
Voitko antaa minulle tuon?
Can you give me that?
अक्सर इससे भ्रम होता है
This (close to speaker)
It/that (general, not necessarily present)
These (plural, close to speaker)
मुहावरे और अभिव्यक्तियाँ
"Se on menossa tuohon suuntaan."
It's going in that direction.
Katso, se on menossa tuohon suuntaan. (Look, it's going in that direction.)
neutral"Tuon asian suhteen..."
Regarding that matter...
Tuon asian suhteen meidän pitäisi keskustella tarkemmin. (Regarding that matter, we should discuss in more detail.)
formal"Tuolla tavalla"
That way
Tehdään se tuolla tavalla. (Let's do it that way.)
neutral"Ei tuota pahaa"
It doesn't hurt / It's not bad
Ei tuota pahaa, jos yrittää. (It doesn't hurt to try.)
informal"Mitä tuo tarkoittaa?"
What does that mean?
En ymmärrä, mitä tuo tarkoittaa. (I don't understand what that means.)
neutral"Tuosta vaan"
Just like that / Easily
Ei tuota tehtävää voi tehdä tuosta vaan. (You can't do that task just like that.)
informal"Tuota pikaa"
Soon / In a moment
Hän palaa tuota pikaa. (He'll be back soon.)
neutral"Tuohon aikaan"
At that time
Olimme siellä tuohon aikaan. (We were there at that time.)
neutral"Tuon vuoksi"
Because of that
Tuon vuoksi en päässyt tulemaan. (Because of that, I couldn't come.)
neutral"Tuosta syystä"
For that reason
Tuosta syystä meidän on muutettava suunnitelmia. (For that reason, we have to change plans.)
formalआसानी से भ्रमित होने वाले
Often confused with 'tuo' because both refer to 'this' or 'that.' The key difference is proximity to the speaker.
'Tämä' means 'this' (something close to the speaker).
Tämä on minun kirjani. (This is my book.)
Can mean 'it' or 'that,' making its usage similar to 'tuo' in some contexts.
'Se' is a general 'it' or 'that' when referring to something already known or previously mentioned, or something not physically present. 'Tuo' is for something physically present but further away.
Katso tuota autoa. Se on punainen. (Look at that car. It is red.)
The plural form of 'tämä,' and learners might incorrectly use it when they mean 'those' (plural of 'tuo').
'Nämä' means 'these' (multiple things close to the speaker).
Nämä omenat ovat hyviä. (These apples are good.)
The plural form of 'tuo,' which can be tricky when deciding between 'these' and 'those.'
'Nuo' means 'those' (multiple things further from the speaker).
Nuo talot ovat vanhoja. (Those houses are old.)
While not directly similar in meaning, 'joka' is a relative pronoun ('who,' 'which,' 'that') and can sometimes appear in sentences where 'tuo' might be considered incorrectly by beginners when they are trying to refer to something.
'Joka' introduces a relative clause. 'Tuo' is a demonstrative pronoun/adjective.
Mies, joka asuu tuolla, on ystäväni. (The man who lives over there is my friend.)
खुद को परखो 24 सवाल
Write a short sentence using 'tuo' to point out something specific. For example, pointing to a book you want.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Minä haluan lukea tuon kirjan. (I want to read that book.)
Imagine you are in a shop. Use 'tuo' to ask for 'that red apple'.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Voinko saada tuon punaisen omenan? (Can I have that red apple?)
Describe a person you know using 'tuo' to refer to them, like 'That person is my friend.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
Tuo henkilö on ystäväni. (That person is my friend.)
Minkä värinen auto on mainittu?
Read this passage:
Ostan tuon auton. Se on punainen ja todella nopea. Minun täytyy säästää rahaa sitä varten. Tuo on minun unelma-autoni.
Minkä värinen auto on mainittu?
The passage states 'Se on punainen', which means 'It is red'.
The passage states 'Se on punainen', which means 'It is red'.
Miksi puhuja juo kyseistä kahvia?
Read this passage:
Tuo kahvi on erittäin hyvää. Juon sitä joka aamu. Se antaa minulle energiaa koko päiväksi. Ostan aina tuota merkkiä.
Miksi puhuja juo kyseistä kahvia?
The passage says 'Se antaa minulle energiaa koko päiväksi', meaning 'It gives me energy for the whole day'.
The passage says 'Se antaa minulle energiaa koko päiväksi', meaning 'It gives me energy for the whole day'.
Mitä linnut tekevät puuhun?
Read this passage:
Näen tuon puun ikkunasta. Se on suuri ja vanha. Linnut tekevät siihen pesiä joka kevät. Tuo puu on kaunis.
Mitä linnut tekevät puuhun?
The passage states 'Linnut tekevät siihen pesiä joka kevät', which means 'Birds make nests in it every spring'.
The passage states 'Linnut tekevät siihen pesiä joka kevät', which means 'Birds make nests in it every spring'.
Listen for 'tuo' referring to a specific car.
Listen for 'tuo' identifying a person.
Listen for 'tuon' indicating which book.
Read this aloud:
Tuo mies on opettajani.
Focus: tuo
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
En pidä tuosta säästä.
Focus: tuosta
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Onko tuo uusi puhelimesi?
Focus: tuo uusi
तुमने कहा:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Se on vanha tarina, mutta silti monet uskovat ___. (that)
Here, 'that' refers to 'tarina' (story) and is the object of the verb 'uskovat' (believe). The illative case 'tuohon' is used because 'uskoa johonkin' (to believe in something) takes the illative case.
En pidä ___ tavasta puhua toisille. (that)
The verb 'pitää jostakin' (to like something) takes the elative case. Therefore, 'that' referring to 'tapa' (way/manner) should be in the elative case, 'tuosta'.
Muistatko vielä ___ kesän, kun tapasimme? (that)
Here, 'that' refers to 'kesän' (summer) and functions as an attribute. It is in the genitive case 'tuon' to agree with 'kesän'.
Mistä puhuitte ___ asiasta? (that)
The verb 'puhua jostakin' (to talk about something) requires the elative case. Therefore, 'that' referring to 'asia' (matter) should be 'tuosta'.
Hän ei halua kuulla ___ juttua enää. (that)
The verb 'haluta kuulla jotakin' (to want to hear something) takes the partitive case for the object 'juttu' (story). Thus, 'that' should be 'tuota'.
Miten suhtaudut ___ päätökseen? (that)
The verb 'suhtautua johonkin' (to react/relate to something) takes the illative case. Therefore, 'that' referring to 'päätös' (decision) should be 'tuohon'.
This sentence structure (adjective + noun + possessive suffix + verb + object + adjective + noun) is common in sophisticated Finnish expression, allowing for detailed descriptions and nuanced meaning.
This sentence demonstrates the use of a genitive-based temporal phrase ('Globalisaation aikakaudella') followed by a complex subject ('kansallisten identiteettien merkitys') and a passive verb, characteristic of C2 academic discourse.
This sentence employs abstract nouns and a verb requiring a partitive object, which are frequent in formal and analytical Finnish, typical of C2 proficiency.
/ 24 correct
Perfect score!
