Äänittäen

Äänittäen is the present active adverbial participle of the Finnish verb äänittää, meaning to record sound. It denotes the means or manner of an action and is typically translated into English as “by recording” or “while recording.” The form is used to connect clauses or to describe an accompanying action without introducing a separate subordinate clause.

Formation and related forms: äänittäen is formed from the verb stem äänitä- with the suffix -en. It is parallel to other adverbial participles in Finnish, such as kirjoittaen (by writing). The related noun äänittäminen refers to the act or process of recording, and the agent noun äänittäjä denotes a person who records.

Usage and style: The adverbial participle äänittäen is more common in written Finnish, particularly in formal, descriptive, or technical contexts such as academic texts, manuals, or legal documents. In everyday speech, speakers more often use finite clauses or prepositional phrases to express manner or means rather than employing the participle form.

Nuances and limits: The meaning of äänittäen centers on simultaneity or means—the action follows from the main verb and is described as being accomplished by recording. The tense is determined by the main verb, while äänittäen itself does not encode tense. Because it can sound formal or archaic in some contexts, its use is most appropriate in written or carefully composed prose.

See also: äänittää, äänittäminen, äänittäjä.