Estettäessä

Estettäessä is a Finnish word that functions as the conditional past passive participle of the verb "estää". The verb "estää" means to prevent, hinder, obstruct, or stop. Therefore, "estettäessä" literally translates to "when it was being prevented" or "when prevented". It is used in a subordinate clause to indicate an action or state that occurred at the same time as, or immediately after, something else was being prevented.

This grammatical form is employed to describe a situation where an action was happening or was about to happen, but it was interrupted or made impossible by some form of prevention. For example, one might say "Kylmä tuli estettäessä matkaa" which could be translated as "The cold came when the journey was being prevented" or "when the journey was hindered". This implies that the journey was intended or underway, but the onset of cold weather stopped it.

The construction "estettäessä" is relatively uncommon in everyday spoken Finnish but can be encountered in more formal writing or literature. Its specific usage often implies a passive state of being hindered rather than an active prevention by a specific agent. The context of the sentence is crucial for fully understanding the nuance of "estettäessä". It highlights a circumstantial obstruction or a state of being blocked.