Juoksemalla

Juoksemalla is the adverbial participle (gerund) of the Finnish verb juosta, meaning “to run.” It expresses the manner or method by which an action is performed and translates roughly as “by running.” The form is created from the verb stem juokse- plus the suffix -malla, resulting in juoksemalla. It is non-finite and does not change for person or tense on its own.

In usage, juoksemalla is often used to connect clauses or to describe how something is done. For example: “Hän paransi kuntoaan juoksemalla joka päivä.” “Juoksemalla voi ylläpitää kuntoa.” It can modify the verb of the main clause and is common in written Finnish, especially in instructional, sports, or general-life statements. The gerund can indicate the means irrespective of the subject, or express a general method rather than a specific act.

Compared with other adverbial forms, juoksemalla is more formal and concise than a full subordinate clause such as “kun hän juoksi” or “tekemällä juoksun.” It should not be confused with the present participle “juokseva,” which describes someone or something that is running at the moment rather than the means.

Etymology: from juosta (“to run”) plus the adverbial -malla suffix. Similar forms include syömällä (“by eating”), lukemalla (“by reading”), and other -malla/-mällä constructions in Finnish.