työpöydällä

Työpöydällä is a Finnish locative form meaning “on the desk.” It is the adessive case of työpöytä, a compound noun formed from työ (work) and pöytä (table). In Finnish, the adessive (-llä) marks location on a surface, so työpöydällä specifically denotes something resting on the desk rather than inside a drawer or elsewhere.

The word is typically used to describe the position of objects in a workspace. It conveys that an item is located on the desk surface. For related movement toward a desk surface, the allative form työpöydälle is used, as in placing something onto the desk: “Aseta kone työpöydälle” (Place the computer on the desk).

Examples of use include: “Avain on työpöydällä.” (The key is on the desk.) “Muistiinpanot ovat työpöydällä.” (The notes are on the desk.) In contrast, to indicate location inside a drawer or storage, other cases and constructions would be used, such as työpöydän sisällä or työpöydän laatikossa.

Usage notes and variants: työpöydällä is specifically surface-level positioning, whereas työpöydällä on a broader sense of being at the desk as a workspace. The form integrates naturally into everyday Finnish, especially in conversations about organization, offices, and study spaces.

See also: työpöytä, pöytä, and Finnish locative cases (adessive and related forms).