"That object is a machine."

Translation: Tiu objekto estas maŝino.

[balrogboogie]

What is difference between "tiu" and "tio?" When do I use one over the other?

[SariniLynn]

The short answer is that you use "tiu" when a noun appears in the sentence. Ĉu tio estas maŝino? Jes, tiu objekto estas maŝino.

(Tiu is also used to refer to people without a noun, and occasionally when there is a noun obviously understood from context.)

Thus "tiu" is which, who, or sometimes which one. Tio is the more generic what. (But in English we tend to say "what" when we should say which, making this explanation more difficult than it should be for us!)

[balrogboogie]

Thanks, I know it has been a while since you left this comment but it really helped clear this up for me.

[SariniLynn]

I'm so glad!

[trielt]

I know several other people have suggested this before, but I'll suggest it again. Go to lernu.net. Complete the "Bildoj kaj Demandoj" course.(gxi senpagas) Then come back. You'll thank me.

[rafmescas1]

It might sound weird, but can you say "Tiu objekto maŝinas"?

[das-g]

Gramatically, yes. But it might not necessarily be understood as intended. With adjective roots, the convention is that adding a verb ending ("-i", "-is", "-as", "-os") means the same as using the adjective with " est-…", i.e., to be like that / to have that attribute/property:

"La hundo grandas." = "La hundo estas granda."

But "maŝin-" is noun root, so at least to me, it'd be unclear whether "maŝini" means to be a machine, to be like a machine, to act like a machine, to operate a machine, or yet something else.