Ennaltaehkäistäkseen

Ennaltaehkäistäkseen is a Finnish non-finite verb form that expresses purpose, roughly meaning “in order to prevent.” It is derived from the verb ennaltaehkäistä (to prevent in advance) and is used in subordinate clauses to indicate preventive action.

Formation and spelling can vary. The form is created by attaching the purpose-suffix -kse-/ -akseen to the verb stem, yielding variants such as ennaltaehkäistäkseen and kirjoittaakseen. Both endings convey the idea of performing the action for the sake of a specified outcome. The exact form is determined by phonological harmony and the surrounding morphology.

Usage and meaning. Ennaltaehkäistäkseen appears mainly in formal or written Finnish, including legal, administrative, and instructional texts. It is used to indicate that an action is taken with the aim of preventing something in the future. In typical sentences, the subject of the main clause and the implied subject of the infinitive are aligned, for example: Varotoimet tehtiin ennaltaehkäistäkseen vahinkoja (The precautionary measures were taken to prevent damages). It is less common in everyday spoken Finnish, where simpler purpose constructions are more frequent.

Related terms. The noun ennaltaehkäisy means prevention, and ennaltaehkäisevä describes something preventive. The form ennaltaehkäistäkseen is part of a broader set of Finnish infinitives used to express purpose in formal prose.