Avaamalla

Avaamalla is a Finnish gerund form derived from the verb avata, meaning to open. The suffix -malla marks the word as a gerund, which functions to express means, manner, or a condition, roughly corresponding to the English phrase “by opening.” In Finnish, avaamalla typically appears in adverbial clauses or as a noun-like phrase within a sentence.

Avaamalla is commonly used to indicate how an action is performed or under what circumstances it occurs. For example: “Avaamalla ikkunan saadaan raikasta ilmaa” translates to “By opening the window, we get fresh air.” Another example is “Avaamalla tämän painikkeen, voit käynnistää prosessin,” meaning “By opening this button, you can start the process.” A sentence can also begin with an avaamalla phrase, such as “Avaamalla oven hän pääsi sisään,” “By opening the door, he entered.”

Grammatically, avaamalla can take objects related to the action in a genitive or other case form to show what is being opened. It is distinct from finite verbs and participial adjectives, yet it shares the characteristic Finnish gerunds have in linking actions to their means or conditions. In practice, avaamalla appears frequently in manuals, instructional texts, and descriptive prose where the author describes steps or methods.

Etymology and related forms: avaamalla comes from avata plus the -malla suffix. It belongs to a family of Finnish gerunds like tekemällä (by doing) and lukemalla (by reading). See also avata and Finnish gerund usage for broader context.